The Paradise Way: Continuing to Improve in the Face of Adversity

In 2019, Town of Paradise engaged Leading Edge Group to provide Lean training and support with the goal of fostering a culture of continuous improvement for the benefit of its residents.

The case study focuses on how a continuous improvement mindset and Lean knowledge and skills among staff and management helped the Town address some of the challenges presented by both a major snowstorm in Newfoundland and the global COVID-19 pandemic, while successfully maintaining continuity of service.

“If someone had told me at the beginning of January 2020 that the management team at the Town of Paradise was about to be tested beyond all extraordinary measures, not in my wildest dreams could I have envisioned what lay ahead. The first test arrived in January in the form of a major snowstorm dubbed “Snowmageddon” causing the Mayor to call a State of Emergency and then COVID-19 arrived in March causing a provincial medical emergency and eventually the worldwide pandemic.

The Paradise team not only rose to the occasion – they soared. All of the Town’s managers are trained in Lean Green Belts, the directors are trained sponsors of the program, and many of our staff have received White and Yellow Belt training. Having so many of our employees all versed in the same continuous improvement school of thought heavily contributed to the Town’s success through unprecedented times. Essential and core services continued under the leadership of the Town’s Green Belts and, as Provincial COVID-19 Alert Response Levels were changing, our team was nimble and pivoted their deliveries in such a way that many of the changes made will be now permanent as Paradise returns to a new normal.”        – Lisa Niblock, Chief Administrative Officer