Process Improvement

I'm hearing a lot of talk about continuous improvement these days.  I'm all for it, but there are 2 really common shortcomings in most peoples implementation:

1. It isn't only about adding steps/gates/processes.  Sometimes a process can be improved by removing a step, or perhaps the organisation can be better served by abandoning the process altogether.
2. Improve your process improvement process.  It's part of your organisation just like any other process, and as such, should be subject to a bit of continuous improvement.

Making sure you do a bit of number 2 gives you some controls to ensure enough of number 1 happens.