Business

Kaizen

I ran across this word the other day, and its simplicity intrigues me. Kaizen is a Japanese term that essentially means continual improvement. The word came up in an article about Toyota, a company that has currently found itself at the top of the automotive market not by taking huge leaps and bounds on risky balloons, but rather on saying that each day they will be a little better than the day before.

The philosophy of Kaizen is at the root of this improvement. Toyota makes it easy for little things to be improved. Maybe a parts picker thinks that things will work better if a certain part is placed in a certain location on the shelf. Maybe the receptionist at the front desk says that the welcome sign’s color clashes with the building’s paint. Rather than being a top-down company where these small requests would be lost in a bureaucratic jungle, Toyota has built itself around a bottom-up philosophy where changes like these can get done. Do they all work? No, but the net result is continual improvement.

So, the word ‘kaizen’ stuck with me. Obviously it applies to my workplace and others’, where businesses could be substantially improved by focusing on the small improvements over the big splash (granted, though, that if you can do both successfully, the better for you). But I think it also applies to our personal lives, our churches, and our relationships.

Benjamin Franklin once decided to follow a system of continual improvement when he laid down his Thirteen Virtues. He would reflect daily on how well he was doing in regards to each and would often take a full week and focus on only one virtue. If we ever want to be successful in life or in death, we must have the same mentality. We must seek to always progress within ourselves and within Christ.

I also felt strongly that this Kaizen philosophy could makes its home in my church. As a caveat, you should know that I love my church and think it wonderful with wonderful people. However, just like in businesses, it is the small things that all too often slip through the cracks. I think a system that encourages the people to spot small, needed changes that would effect continual improvement would allow our leaders to focus on the bigger things. It’s something I want to think further about.

Kaizen. Continual Improvement. Are you better today than you were yesterday? What will you do today to insure continual improvement in your life?

It is now 6:18, and I here my son awake in his room. I didn’t see him all day yesterday, so I’m off to go give him some attention. How’s that for improvement? =)

© 2008 Baba’s Blog.