Kaizen according to Wikipedia, is the Japanese word for “continual improvement” or “change for better”. In business, kaizen often refers to activities that continuously improve all aspects of the business and involve all employees in every department and office. The word can refer to any improvement, one-time or continuous, large or small.
Kaizen is a daily process, the purpose of which suggests a humanized approach to workers and to increasing productivity. When done correctly, it can humanise the workplace, eliminates overly hard work and teaches people to look for new and better ways to do processes. According to Wikipedia, “The idea is to nurture the company’s people as much as it is to praise and encourage participation in kaizen activities. Successful implementation requires “the participation of workers in the improvement.”
Kaizen, also includes the idea of the ’one-minute principle’ for self-improvement- the idea that a person should practice doing something for a single minute, every day at the same time. The idea being that if you chunk the practise into small, manageable bite sized pieces it becomes more attractive and palatable and less likely to be put off and not done. No excuses!
Whether it’s doing exercise, learning a language or reading a book, taking the small step of 60 secs won’t seem quite as bad and could become and activity that brings you satisfaction and a sense of achievement. By taking one small step at a time, one minute at a time, you’ll will move on to the path of self-perfection and achieve great results.
Once you’ve gained your confidence and experience a sense of victory and success, you can gradually begin to increase the amount of time you spend doing the task which you have set yourself . The one-minute principle lets you see the progress you’re making.
Kaizan is something that anyone can attempt in virtually any sphere of their life. We like to use it with the FISH! Philosophy. PLAY. MAKE THEIR DAY. BE THERE. CHOOSE YOUR ATTITUDE. It can all be a bit overwhelming. By taking the principal of Kaizen, of continuous improvement, you take the opportunity to put into practise each of the FISH! principals one at a time. All you have to do is understand what it is you want to achieve, and you’re all set to go.