24/07/2025
In a previous life we worked with someone who had a colourful and different management style– always up for something new – we spoke to him last week, one of our six monthly catch ups, and in the conversation he reminded us when, many years ago, he got into the Kaizen principle/philosophy.
Do you know it? Kai – Japanese for change and Zen for good
Well if not, briefly it’s something manufacturers like car manufacturer Toyota adopted in the 1980’s and then it spread to all sorts of other business sectors. The principle is that a business must make small changes over time to drive continuous improvement, recognising that small changes now can add up to huge impacts in the future.
It promotes the fact that there is no perfect end so we must strive to evolve and innovate constantly.
The main 5 principles are
1. Know your customer:
This principle emphasizes understanding the needs and expectations of the customer to improve their experience.
2. Let it flow:
This focuses on streamlining processes and eliminating waste to improve efficiency and productivity.
3. Go to Gemba:
Gemba, meaning "the actual place," means observing the work environment first hand to understand problems and identify improvement opportunities.
4. Empower people:
This involves giving employees the authority and resources to make decisions and implement improvements.
5. Be transparent:
This means making improvements visible through data and communication, allowing everyone to see the impact of changes.
Do you know what I was a bit cynical at the time but looking at it again all these years later I think he had something!
Our only reservation though is that for so many small/medium businesses the owners are already under pressure with juggling many roles – one minute they are HR manager dealing with staff, then marketing director creating a sales plan and organising social media, then accountant juggling cashflow – they just don’t have time to be looking at those changes they should be making even with the support of a small team.
That’s when a mentor or business coach can really help – those fresh eyes see what you don’t. You’re just too close to your business so all you need to do is acknowledge that you need, and would benefit, from those fresh eyes to unlock the ideas for beneficial changes.
