Can you improve future performance by incorporating the past into your organizational routine?

Looking back to the past as part of your standard operation is critical for success. 

There are three reasons for this:

1. In order to improve, you must have a record of what has happened previously.
2. Remembering the successes and stories of the past ties current efforts to part of a larger picture.
3. Remembering the successes of the individuals and teams of the past conveys that you value those past efforts and lets current employees know that they will be valued as well.

In order to improve, you must have a record of what has happened previously and have those results integrated into your process.  

This is the first and most obvious reason why looking to the past is critical. Simply put, how can you learn if you have not documented what's happened the past?  A learning organization almost by definition has to have a good record of its past efforts.  It is not enough to simply record the past though, it must be integrated as a part of your operation in order to improve.  How many meetings have you been to where someone says, "We tried that before and it didn't work."?  The obvious response is "Can we see the results?" The standard response, "It is in an old PowerPoint on my computer, I will pull it up and send it to you."  This is a death cycle to improving your organization.  Someone is taking the initiative to test and improve and is slowed down by a mythical PowerPoint.    

Remembering the successes and stories of the past ties current efforts to part of a larger picture.

Research shows that being a part of a larger effort has the affect of getting employees to work harder and be more effective.    The efforts and stories of the past are a great way to demonstrate to employees that they are contributing to something bigger, something meaningful.  

Remembering the successes of the individuals and teams of the past conveys that you value those past efforts and lets current employees believe that they will be valued as well.

The other aspect of looking to the past and honoring successful individuals and teams is that it lets people know that they could be honored and decorated as well. The fact that you take the time to honor the past is a sign that you value people as more than just a commodity.  If you care enough remember those who have gone before surely you will care about those currently with you.  

A good example of these principles to both the good and the bad is the NFL. They do exceptional job of both honoring previous players and teams and incorporating statistics as part of their brand.  Players know they can make it to the Hall of Fame and what individual statistics they need to achieve. They have a proper respect for the past but they also use their focus on stats to improve the game for the future.  Interestingly though, as the discussion heats up around brain injuries and the NFL's actual treatment of their former players you can see the principle work in reverse as well.  Because current players perceive that the NFL has not treated former players well, it is affecting the current player's relationship with the league.

 It is a great example that any business should follow. 

A Question 

How easily accessible are your past test results and your past stories?