The Key Frustrations of Continuous Improvement Professionals in 2025

Key Frustrations of Continuous Improvement Professionals in 2025

 Because of the issues below, CI staff often feel their work doesn’t make the intended impact. It’s disheartening when improvements don’t stick or colleagues ignore CI recommendations. “It’s frustrating when other people don’t believe in continuous improvement the way you do…they don’t see the benefits… and don’t want to follow your lead,” one CI manager admitted.

This can lead to burnout or cynicism. CI professionals often feel underutilized and underappreciated, unable to showcase success in a culture not fully receptive to continuous improvement.

United States and Europe - Primary Frustrations

1. Career Advancement Barriers

Fire-Fighting vs. Strategic Work

"All the CI Department does where I work is fire fight, and unsuccessfully at that. Every single day there are problems of downtime, quality problems like conveyor belt shavings, and operational issues like low yield." - Manufacturing CI Professional

"The problems we go after are not necessarily prioritized, just what is most 'urgent' which really means what is most recent." - Manufacturing CI Professional

Limited Authority and Influence

"A lot of times it feels like being a parent but never having authority to punish the child... when you have no authority and get nothing but headwinds, you get burned out fast." - Anonymous CI Professional

Unclear Career Progression Path

"I'm currently stuck in my head... I have over 10 years of experience with Lean methodologies and Kaizen events... but the question is what position in my career path or role comes next?" - Tim, CI Manager with 90k TC

 

No Coaching or Career Plan

“I get performance reviews, not mentorship. Nobody’s helping me get to the next level.”

This is especially common when CI roles report to leaders without deep OpEx experience.

Frustrated at Being Overlooked for Promotion

“I trained others, led improvement projects, and still wasn’t seen as ready. Then they hired someone from outside.”

CI Specialists and Analysts regularly report this on Reddit and LinkedIn, especially in manufacturing firms where CI isn’t embedded in leadership culture.

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2. Organizational Support Issues

Lack of Leadership Buy-In

"My boss mentioned it's so hard to find a CI person who doesn't jump jobs every year; and it's because of this reason - when you have no authority and get nothing but headwinds, you get burned out fast." - Anonymous CI Professional

Resource Constraints According to Columbia University research on Lean Six Sigma Green Belts: "Usually juggling improvement projects with their usual work responsibilities, Green Belts have resource and time limitations... daily chores are not balanced with project obligations."

Role Misunderstanding and Leadership Misalignment on Expectations

"It appears that the company is not of a Continuous improvement mindset, rather anything that involves improvement they hand to the CI Team, regardless of whether it stems from the production floor or other departments." - Manufacturing CI Professional

"We are treated like multiple purpose tools and given work others won't do. Very chaotic." - Manufacturing CI Professional

 

Stuck in the Tools, Not the Strategy

“I’m seen as the 5S or dashboard guy. No one brings me into strategy meetings.”

Many CI Engineers feel reduced to implementers instead of leaders of change, with no exposure to the “why” behind initiatives.

“Many are convinced that struggling to ‘make a difference and add value’ is the job” and resign themselves to a cycle of pushing small improvements without ever moving up

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3. Lack of Cross Functional Teams

“They want me to ‘own it,’ but I need cross-functional support to lead anything big.”

The burden of change is placed on them, but without the political or structural support to succeed.

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4. Sustainment and Implementation Challenges

Project Abandonment

"When I first got into the department, I was amazed at the number of files and projects... However, as time went on, I started questioning why everything I saw was never sustained. Eventually, I realized that practically everything was never even finished, just started." - CI Professional

Change Resistance Research indicates that "The greatest obstacle Green Belts face is changing resistance. Many times, Lean Six Sigma projects call for changing current procedures, which team members accustomed to the status quo may find objectionable or sceptical."

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Developing Countries - Example of Latin America Challenges

1. Training and Development Gaps

Limited Formal CI Education Infrastructure 

• Investing in employee development can be uneven in Latin America. CI professionals stress that without proper training, their initiatives falter.
  • "Often a lack of training is the real culprit behind inefficient processes and mediocre results" - Lean Consultant in Latin America.
  • Companies that don’t continuously coach and educate their CI teams (and workforce at large) end up with poor outcomes.
• When asked to drive improvements without being given new skills or methodologies, CI specialists feel set up to fail. This leads to personal frustration at not achieving the expected results. “Si alguna vez te has sentido frustrado al intentar mejorar procesos sin obtener los resultados esperados…”, writes the consultant, then likely intent, training, and knowledge are missing.
• The message is that Latin American CI practitioners want more robust training, mentoring, and knowledge-sharing to empower successful improvements.
• Research from Brazilian industrial companies shows that "the most relevant barrier is the lack of skill and adequate training.

Language and Cultural Barriers in Training Materials Most advanced CI training materials and certifications are primarily available in English, creating accessibility challenges for Spanish and Portuguese-speaking professionals.

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2. Economic and Resource Constraints

Limited Investment in Professional Development The economic landscape in Latin America, as noted by Deloitte's 2024 outlook, shows "challenging economic landscape, characterized by both external and internal hurdles" that limit companies' ability to invest in comprehensive CI training programs.

Infrastructure Limitations Manufacturing facilities in countries like Mexico and Brazil often have "inadequate training and development" resources compared to US counterparts, making it difficult for CI professionals to access advanced coaching and mentorship.

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3. Cultural and Organizational Challenges

Hierarchical Resistance Latin American organizational cultures tend to be more hierarchical, creating additional barriers for CI professionals to implement changes across organizational levels.

• Creating a continuous improvement culture in Latin America requires strong top-down support, which is not always present. Companies in the region often operate with hierarchical structures, and CI initiatives can stall if senior leaders are not driving them.
• Experts emphasize that training the staff and having leadership promote CI from the highest levels are essential for success
  •  When upper management is lukewarm, CI professionals find themselves championing changes alone. They may encounter attitudes of “this is how we’ve always done it,” making it hard to implement Lean changes.
  • Just like in the U.S., LATAM CI specialists frequently blame management’s short-term focus or lack of understanding for continuous improvement failures.
  • Without leadership modeling and rewarding improvement, CI efforts remain isolated projects and the specialists feel their potential impact is undervalued.

Sustainability Issues Similar to US challenges but amplified by resource constraints, where "processes may revert to earlier states without appropriate monitoring and reinforcement, thereby invalidating the work made in improvement projects."

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Common Themes Across Both Regions

1. Training-to-Management Gap

• “a frustrating career wall for a lot of engineers who master production optimization but never get the financial and business context” - CI Engineer.
  • This lack of a clear advancement path or succession plan into CI Manager or OpEx Manager roles leaves them feeling stuck.  In many cases, they see external hires brought in for leadership jobs, undermining their growth.
• Insufficient Leadership Development: Most CI professionals receive technical training but lack the business acumen and leadership skills needed for management roles. 
  • Ironically for “continuous improvement” experts, many report they aren’t given the training, coaching, or authority to continuously improve their own impact. CI practitioners often “fight to get ‘time and resources’ for training and implementing improvements”
  • They may be pigeonholed as facilitators or analysts rather than being coached to develop leadership skills. This leaves them doubting their readiness for management.
  • One veteran CI coach observed that CI professionals tend to settle into a narrow facilitator role and lack exposure to broader business strategy or mentorship from executives
• Missing Mentorship Programs: Limited access to experienced CI managers who can provide career guidance
  • Without guidance in high-level decision-making or leadership, they struggle to demonstrate they’re “ready for that promotion.” This lack of development is frustrating for those aspiring to managerial positions.

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2. Industry-Specific Challenges

• Manufacturing Focus vs. Service Industry Growth: Most CI training is manufacturing-focused, but service industries need different approaches
• Supply Chain Complexity: Modern global supply chains create more complex CI challenges than traditional training addresses

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3. Technology Integration Struggles

• Digital Transformation Pressure: CI professionals feel pressure to integrate Industry 4.0 technologies without adequate training
• Data Analytics Skills Gap: Growing need for advanced analytics capabilities beyond traditional CI methodologies

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Specific Quotes on Promotion Barriers

"Corporate culture is ruled by people seeking short term results and hoping the real problem doesn't surface itself until they are promoted." - Manufacturing Professional

"If continuous improvement is so critical to the health of an organization – why is it so difficult and why are so many projects doomed to failure?" - Process Excellence Network Analysis

“I used to love this work. Now I just do my job and don’t speak up.”

When growth feels blocked, CI talent disengages — a costly loss for the company.

These findings reveal a clear disconnect between the technical training CI professionals receive and the strategic, leadership, and business skills they need to advance to management positions. The frustration is particularly acute among professionals who have invested significant time in certifications but find limited pathways to meaningful career advancement without additional business education or mentorship opportunities.

Research Sources

19. Reddit - Manufacturing Community

    • Those who work in Continuous Improvement Departments, how is it?
    • Posted by VGauds in r/manufacturing (May 2023)
    • 47 upvotes, 35 comments from CI professionals sharing experiences

20. Reddit - PM Careers Community

    • Career path for Continuous Improvement Manager
    • Posted by Rivian-Bull-2025 in r/PMCareers (July 2024)
    • Discussion about advancement from CI Manager to Director level

21. Reddit - Industrial Engineering Community

    • I really hate what lean/six sigma has done to the industry
    • Posted by Hellkyte in r/industrialengineering (April 2021)
    • 76 upvotes discussing credential devaluation

22. Reddit - Industrial Engineering Community

    • Worked My Way Up To Continuous Improvement Specialist
    • Posted by Patience-Heavy in r/industrialengineering (November 2023)
    • Career advancement discussion from non-engineering background

23. Columbia University Blog

    • Challenges Faced by Lean Six Sigma Green Belts
    • Published June 2024
    • Academic analysis of Green Belt implementation challenges

24. Process Excellence Network

    • Five Barriers to Continuous Improvement
    • By Þr Gunnarsdôttir
    • Survey results from PEX Week conference with 40% of respondents citing prioritization as main barrier

25. ResearchGate Publications

    • Continuous improvement: Critical factors in Brazilian industrial companies
    • Academic research on CI implementation in Brazil

26. ResearchGate Publications

    • Barriers to Implementing Lean Six Sigma in the Chemical Process Industry: The Case of Brazil
    • 2024 study on LSS implementation barriers in Brazilian industry

27. APQC (American Productivity & Quality Center)

    • Top Six Obstacles to Supply Chain Process Improvement
    • Industry research identifying technology implementation and leadership support as key barriers

28. KaiNexus Blog

    • 6 Solutions for Overcoming Continuous Improvement Challenges
    • Professional CI platform analysis of common challenges

29. UC Davis Lean Six Sigma Institute

    • Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Salary: Pay, Growth & Career Outlook
    • 2024 salary and career progression analysis

30. MSI Certified

    • Occupational Outlook for Continuous Improvement
    • Industry career outlook analysis

31. Spencer Stuart

    • The Perception of Organizational Culture in Latin America
    • Survey of 120 executives from six Latin American countries

32. Deloitte

    • Latin America economic outlook, September 2024
    • Regional economic analysis affecting professional development

33. Bureau Veritas Latin America

    • Operational Excellence - Latin America
    • Regional OpEx implementation challenges and opportunities

34. Curso y Postgrados (Spanish)

    • ¿Que estudiar para Responsable de Mejora Continua?
    • Spanish-language resource on CI career development requirements

35. LinkedIn (Spanish)

    • ¿Cómo te conviertes en un analista de mejora continua?
    • Professional advice on becoming a CI analyst in Spanish-speaking markets

36. Lean Six Sigma Institute (Spanish)

    • Ventajas de la certificación Lean Six Sigma para su carrera profesional
    • Spanish-language analysis of LSS certification career benefits

37. Agile Velocity

    • 10 Continuous Improvement Challenges & How to Overcome Them
    • Comprehensive analysis of CI implementation challenges

38. WalkMe Blog

    • Common Barriers to Successful Continuous Improvement Programs
    • Enterprise software perspective on CI barriers

39. Umbrex

    • Continuous Improvement Managers
    • Professional role definition and requirements analysis
40. First-hand accounts from CI professionals on Reddit (manufacturing and engineering threads)reddit.comreddit.com
41. Continuous improvement coaching insights (Paul Serafino interviews)linkedin.comlinkedin.com
42. Employee reviews and testimonials (Indeed/Glassdoor) highlighting lack of advancement and supportindeed.comindeed.com
43. Latin American perspectives from LinkedIn articles and forums (in Spanish), e.g. Andrés Santacruz on CI success factorses.linkedin.comes.linkedin.com and a Chilean engineer’s career frustration postreddit.comreddit.com.