I was recently listening to Steven Bartlett’s The Diary of a CEO audio book, The 33 Laws of Business & Life, and found myself sitting up and listening intently when he started discussing “Rule 19: you must sweat the small stuff.”
In this chapter Bartlett promotes the Kaizen philosophy as an effective business growth tool, illustrated with how Toyota became the worlds leading automotive company in terms of sales and Tiger Woods became the world’s number one golfer, both by adopting the Kaizen philosophy: In Bartlett’s words “making small things better, in small ways, everywhere you can, on a daily basis”.
This really resonates with me as Kaizen was something I regularly riffed on in my previous operations role at Eight.
What is Kaizen?
The Japanese word ‘Kaizen’ literally translated as Kai = Change and Zen = Good, is a transformative approach that focuses on the notion of continuous, incremental improvements that involve every level of an organisation, from the leadership team to the front-line staff.
Bartlett goes on to show how this philosophy is not just a strategy but a mindset that can revolutionise a company's culture and ultimately its success. By embracing Kaizen, organisations can initiate a powerful ripple effect, starting from an individual employee's personal growth to the collective advancement of the company’s operations.
Bartlett argues that this philosophy is instrumental in building a culture that not only fosters innovation and efficiency but also strengthens accountability through systematic recognition of progress and contributions. His narrative delves into the essence of Kaizen, showing how incremental changes, when consistently applied, can lead to substantial transformation within any business environment.
Creating an empowering company culture
Here's my take on how adopting a Kaizen mindset can bolster a company's culture, spur innovation, and reinforce accountability through recognition:
Employee Empowerment
At its core, Kaizen is about empowering employees at all levels to suggest and implement improvements. This not only boosts morale but also ensures that those who are most familiar with the tasks can contribute their insights towards optimising the processes.
Leadership Involvement and Training
Kaizen encourages leadership to actively participate and support the continuous improvement process. Leaders are not just decision-makers but coaches who empower their teams by providing training and the resources necessary for implementing the improvements they suggest.
Recognition and Rewarding Improvements
Recognising and rewarding your team for their contributions is a fundamental aspect of the Kaizen philosophy. This recognition fosters a sense of ownership and satisfaction as they see their efforts lead to tangible improvements and are acknowledged for it.
Cultivating a Positive Attitude
Kaizen promotes a mindset of continuous improvement where small changes are valued and seen as stepping stones to greater efficiency, productivity, and quality. In its very nature Kaizen is promoting continuous loops of feedback between staff and managers, resulting in deeper connections and a more motivated and collaborative team.
Engagement and Accountability
By focusing on small changes, a culture of engagement and accountability is created. Teams feel more invested in the outcomes of their work and are more likely to take responsibility for the overall success of the company.
Data-Driven Decisions
Kaizen emphasises the importance of observation and making decisions based on data. This approach helps in identifying areas that need improvement, in implementing solutions that are evidence-based and ultimately tracking their success.
Teamwork and Shared Responsibility
The philosophy also stresses the importance of teamwork and shared responsibility. By working together towards common goals, staff can share knowledge and strategies for improvement, creating a more cohesive and innovative working environment.
Standardised Work
Regularly documenting processes and best practices is an important but frequently overlooked step in many companies. However, when this practice becomes an integral part of every change process, it naturally evolves into a habitual part of your team’s daily operations. Standardisation not only upholds consistency and quality across the business but also streamlines the onboarding process for newcomers, making it easier for them to get up to speed and contribute effectively.
Additional Operational Benefits
Finally by adopting Kaizen, companies can experience several additional benefits such as reduced waste, better use of inventory, enhanced team skills, and improved health and safety. These improvements come from the culture of efficiency that Kaizen instills, where every aspect of work is subject to review and potential enhancement by every-one.
These principles collectively foster an environment where innovation is not just a buzzword but a daily operational reality, where every team member feels accountable for the company's performance, knowing their ideas and work matter. This level of employee engagement can lead to significant leaps in a company's growth and success.
If you’d like to discuss ways to use Kaizen as a growth strategy for your business, please get in touch, I’d love to hear from you.
Ps. I really rate the other 32 Rules in Barlett's book too. Well worth a read!
