Small Changes, Big Impact: The Power of Incremental Improvements

Read time: 4 mins…

Welcome back, everyone! 🖐

This week’s Automation Advantage covers:

📊 Why Small Changes Matter in Business

💡 The Kaizen Philosophy of Continuous Improvement

⚙️ Tracking Incremental Gains

Let’s dive in! 👇

Earlier this week, I had one of those moments that really made me stop and reflect. I was in a conversation where someone compared software to a gym membership – the beauty of it, they said, is that people pay for it but don’t always use it. I nodded politely at the time, but inside, I couldn’t disagree more.

What’s the point of building software that nobody uses? Sure, it might make sense from a purely revenue-focused perspective, but for me, that’s not why we do this. I’m passionate about building software that genuinely makes a difference – software that’s used, loved, and that drives real value for the people it serves. Next time I’ll speak up, because I firmly believe in creating impact, not just profit.

This belief ties into how we approach our work at Green Gorilla Apps. Every week, during our sprint reviews with clients, we focus on incremental changes – the tiny tweaks that deliver outsized results. By breaking things down into manageable steps and keeping our goals clear, we ensure that the software we build is not only used but makes the people using it more productive, efficient, and successful.

In today’s edition, I want to explore the power of incremental improvements. Whether it’s simplifying workflows, leveraging the right tools, or challenging ourselves to ask the right questions, small changes can lead to big results.

Why Small Changes Matter in Business

When it comes to improvement, we often think of big, dramatic changes – overhauling processes or launching entirely new systems. But the truth is, most meaningful progress comes from small, deliberate steps. Incremental improvements may not seem flashy, but they’re sustainable, measurable, and compound over time.

Here’s an example: We recently worked with a client who had a sales process involving over 40,000 leads in their CRM, managed by dedicated sales teams across multiple divisions. The workflow was overly complicated – it required calling a prospect, retrieving information from one screen, logging the call outcome on another, adding notes on a third, and creating tasks on yet another. While functional, this process was clunky and slowed the team down.

By really understanding the client’s core objectives and overall goals, we simplified the process entirely. Instead of juggling multiple screens, we created a single all-in-one interface that integrated seamlessly with their VOIP system. The system auto-dials, captures all necessary data during and after the call, and logs everything in one place. It wasn’t groundbreaking tech, but it was a game-changer for efficiency. This small change enabled sales consultants to make more calls, leading to increased sales and profit.

Small changes like these – simplifying one step in a workflow – can have a huge impact on productivity and results. The key is to focus on what’s truly holding back progress and fix it incrementally.

The Kaizen Philosophy of Continuous Improvement

The Kaizen philosophy is rooted in the idea of continuous improvement. Originally developed in Japan, Kaizen emphasizes making small, consistent changes that build up to substantial long-term gains. Unlike large-scale overhauls, Kaizen focuses on small tweaks that are easy to implement, sustainable, and reduce risk. It’s an approach that encourages everyone in an organization to be part of the improvement process, ensuring that progress is constant and collective.

Kaizen can be applied to any area of your business by:

• Encouraging small daily improvements that reduce waste and inefficiencies.

• Involving everyone in identifying areas of improvement.

• Reviewing regularly to ensure progress is measurable and actionable.

At Green Gorilla Apps, we live and breathe Kaizen, and one of the ways we embed it into our culture is through our fortnightly Sprint Retrospectives.

How Sprint Retrospectives Drive Continuous Improvement

Every Monday, at the start of each sprint, our team gathers for a retrospective. It’s a simple process, but it’s been a cornerstone of our culture for the past 12 years. During the retrospective, everyone has a voice – from sharing successes to openly expressing frustrations. Using a shared digital whiteboard, we divide the feedback into two columns: Good and Change. Each team member creates at least three virtual post-it notes, adding their thoughts under these categories.

The result? Honest, raw feedback. We openly discuss each card, unpacking what went well and what could be improved. It’s not always easy – being vulnerable in front of a team rarely is – but the insights we gain from these sessions are invaluable. Solutions and ideas emerge organically, and over time, these small, consistent improvements have transformed how we work.

For me, Sprint Retros are the one thing I’ll always “hang my hat on” as the most important meeting in my business. They ensure continuous improvement is more than a buzzword – it’s a practice. This meeting alone has helped us uncover inefficiencies, streamline processes, and find creative solutions to ongoing challenges. It’s not about making massive changes in one go, but about creating a space for incremental progress, week after week, sprint after sprint.

Building a culture of continuous improvement doesn’t have to be complicated. It starts with something as simple as a retrospective. By giving everyone a voice and openly discussing what’s working and what’s not, you’ll create a foundation for sustainable growth and improvement.

Tracking Incremental Gains

Tracking incremental improvements is just as important as making them. Without measuring progress, it’s impossible to know what’s working.

One tool we use is Toggl, a simple yet powerful time-tracking system. Every team member tracks their time across all projects, including internal Green Gorilla Apps tasks like meetings. This gives us visibility into how much time is spent on billable versus non-billable work and how much time is dedicated to internal activities. Armed with this data, we set percentage KPIs for internal work, constantly reviewing and refining to ensure efficiency.

For example, by analysing Toggl data, we recently questioned how long our internal meetings should last. Reducing meeting durations and minimising interruptions resulted in measurable gains to our bottom line. This wasn’t about overhauling our entire system – it was one small step in the larger operational puzzle.

Tracking tools like Toggl give you clarity on where time is being spent, helping you identify areas for improvement. Focus on one piece of the puzzle at a time, and over time, you’ll see significant gains.

Small changes can lead to big impacts. Whether it’s simplifying a sales process, adopting the Kaizen philosophy, or tracking time with tools like Toggl, the key is to focus on incremental improvements. These small steps build momentum, making your business more efficient, productive, and profitable over time.

To explore this mindset further, I highly recommend the book The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson and John David Mann – a fantastic read on how small, consistent changes lead to life-changing results.

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help:

Need help with implementing continuous improvement in your business? Book a 1-1 call with me, and we’ll figure it out together.

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