Why Do Improvement Projects Fail?

I was sitting in a meeting with a number of executives and they were upset. They were complaining that they had spent millions of dollars on improvement projects and they were not getting anyplace close to the return that they expected. They asked me why! Here is my quick response:

1. There is a lack of executive leadership (check out the fall 2007 newsletter) and support.

2. There is a lack of communication.

3. There is a lack of middle management and supervision buy-in.

4. Not understanding that this all about your people.

5. There is a lack of customer focus.

6. There is a lack of improvement measurements.

7. People measures are not aligned with the company goals.

8. Periodic improvement events are used as the primary mechanism to drive the effort.

9. Bonus/pay systems are tied solely to company profitability.

This was a quick list of the things that I have seen. How many fit your environment?