You hear them being dropped here and there at work, wondering: “what did I just hear?” Unable to repeat, you sit in silence and wait for the workshop or a meeting to end to dive into Google and understand at least one of those words so next time you are not caught by surprise (or Sapuraizu in Japanese).
What is it with Japanese words for non-Japanese people (speaking for myself, if you are Japanese, you are awesome for reading this)? How did the Japanese language and culture manage to get the essence of it all? I’m sure there is not one answer to it. In this series of eight articles, I will attempt to unravel some of my favourite Japanese words and share with you how you and your team can benefit from learning about them.
Kaizen, is that a new strategy for getting more Zen?
Direct translation explains Kaizen in the best possible way:
Kai – Change
Zen – Good
To zen or not zen? Kaizen is nothing else than continuous improvement, a positive change. It can be applied in your organisation and as a guide on your personal development journey. Similarly to Gemba, it is a strategy. In the organisational sense, this strategy involves all employees, who can collectively improve the system by reducing waste and saving your organisation a few pennies (not to mention making your users and customers super happy).
”What are you going to do today to improve yourself so that you can help improve others, the communities you’re in, the organization, and to fulfil your purpose as a person and as a leader?
Katie Anderson
For me, the real meaning of Kaizen is beautifully described with the above question. It is worth asking yourself daily: What will I do to improve? Directing that to both work and your daily life choices. Those small changes you will make in your life can significantly impact us as humankind and our planet.
To get started with Kaizen, you can strategize in your organization by following these five steps. As described by the Kaizen Institute, you start by getting to know your customer, making it part of the culture to remove waste in the daily actions and thus enabling flow. Then do the Gemba Walks to see where the value is created and what steps you all need to take. Next, you must empower your teams, align their goals and support them on the way to accomplishing them. Finally, make all data visible, and share current improvements that are in progress. That’s the best way for everyone to be on the same “transparent” page.
Few ways Kaizen can help your organization:
- Has your organization ever implemented a solution that nobody needed? Implement this strategy early on, and make it part of your company culture, to avoid one of the biggest wastes you can create.
- Schedule regular retrospectives in all of the teams (yes, management is a team. as well) to capture improvement opportunities and action them strategically.
- When your organization is considering financial cuts, and you becoming the national news headline is not your priority. Try to find the waste that can be eliminated. This could include old systems, unused licenses for expensive hardware/software, etc.
How can you get started with Kaizen?
Start by journaling every day and weekly reviews of your actions. Start small, and don’t get overwhelmed. The goal is to continuously find ways you can improve. Look for ways to remove waste from your day.
You can learn more about this by studying the Lean manufacturing method. But if you want to capture the idea of Kaizen, all things related to Lean Manufacturing are rooted in Japanese culture. Watch this short video to help you connect the dots without the need to become a Lean expert.
To continue learning with me Japanese “words” used in Lean, Agile or our everyday lives. Learn how you can apply them to your team and organisation. Next up my take on Kata and why you want to mirror its movements. Coming soon.
