5.6. The ITIL Continual Improvement Model
💡 First Principle: The Continual Improvement Model is a repeatable, vision-first method for getting better — and its defining feature is where it starts: with "What is the vision?", because improvement without a clear direction is just motion.
Why care: most improvement efforts fail not from lack of effort but from lack of direction or measurement — teams jump to action without knowing where they're going or whether they arrived. The model's ordered steps guard against exactly that. The mental model: a cycle that begins with vision and never truly ends, because the final step loops you back to keep momentum.
⚠️ Common Misconception: That improvement starts with "take action" or "fix the problem." The model deliberately starts with vision and includes measuring the current state before acting — skipping these is why improvements so often miss.
