When it comes to identifying areas for organizational development, it's common to look for low-hanging fruits that yield immediate results. However, this approach can be shortsighted, and may not lead to long-term maintenance. A more effective way to bring about meaningful change is to focus on transformational improvement projects that have the potential to revitalize entire processes or departments.

To select high-impact improvement projects, consider the following standards:

1. Scale of Impact: Look for programs that have the potential to benefit a significant portion of stakeholders, including employees, customers, or both. The more people affected, the more substantial the impact.

2. Strategic Alignment: Ensure that the improvement project aligns with the organization's overall blueprint and overall business goals. This will help to ensure that the project stays on course and remains relevant.

3. Unmet Needs: Identify areas where there is an unmet need for process improvements. This might include inefficiencies that waste time, or areas where customers or employees are experiencing unnecessary frustrations.

4. Potential for total quality management excellence Innovation: High-impact improvement projects often depend on innovative approaches or processes to achieve breakthrough performance. Look for opportunities to pilot new practices, embrace leading-edge practices, or to think outside the box and find unique answers to long-standing challenges.

5. Support from Stakeholders: The success of any improvement project is heavily dependent on the level of endorsement from key stakeholders. Talk to executives, department managers, and interdisciplinary teams to gauge their engagement, and get a sense of their "buy-in" for the project.

Once you have identified potential improvement projects that meet these criteria, take the time to validate them through data-driven methodologies such as benchmarking. Consider conducting a thorough cost-benefit analysis to assess the potential return on investment of the project, and then develop detailed project plans that outline the goals, reach, timelines, and milestones.

When implementing a high-impact improvement project, it's also crucial to assign the right people to the right positions, and to account them accountable for outcomes. This might mean identifying a project sponsor, a working group, and a clear problem-solving framework to drive progress toward objectives. Consider engaging third-party experts, consultants, or advisors to bring in new viewpoints or to provide targeted expertise to guarantee successful execution of improvements.

Ultimately, identifying and executing high-impact improvement projects will need to carefully assess strategic and emotional value that has lasting impact.