185)   10 Kaizen Basic Principles

The Japanese word kaizen means "change for better", with inherent meaning of either "continuous" or "philosophy" in Japanese dictionaries and in everyday use. The word refers to any improvement, one-time or continuous, large or small, in the same sense as the English word "improvement"

1) Throw out all your old fixed ideas and traditional ways on how to do things.

Do not keep fixed to your old thinking of doing things. It may be good previously. But now, times have changed. With new technology and thinking, the old ways may no longer be suitable.

2) Treat others as you want to be treated. Do not blame anyone – blame processes and not the individual. 

Respect and treat others well. People do make mistakes some times. They may had make the decisions to their best ability in that situation. It is better for everyone to think of ways to prevent the problem from arising again.

3) Think Positive – Don’t say can’t.

Be positive and look for the best results from your best efforts. Many times, things will be much better after going through some tough times. When you hear cannot, ask why not?

4) Don’t wait for perfection. 1% improvement now is fine. 

There is no such thing as the best time or condition. Things are continuously changing. Keep on improving yourself.

5) Correct mistakes as soon as they are found.

Rectify issues as they start to appear. Solve small problems early. Not to put it aside and hope for it to solve itself. The longer you wait, the worse it becomes.

6) Don’t substitute money for thinking. Creativity before capital. 

If you just pay others to solve the problem, you have to keep paying every time the problem appears. Learn to think of the solutions to your problems. The thinking process exercises are priceless. With enough practice, you are able to solve any new problems.

7) For any problem, keep asking why until you get to the root cause.

Find out the cause of the problem. Solving the effect is only temporary as the root will create new problems. A problem has other causes that may not be directly related. Use the 5 Questions below to find out the cause and find possible solutions.

8) Better the wisdom of 5 people than the expertise of 1.

With few people, the ideas will be discussed better. Different people will have different perspectives. An expert may only see from 1 perspective and can blinded by their ego. A cooperative and focus Team is much better than individual working.

 

9) Base decision on data, not opinions.

Find out the facts. Get the numbers to check the information. Do and check the calculation. Many people give opinions and ideas that are not tested. Personal bias affect their opinions. Learning concepts are good, but you need to test them with real numbers.

10) Improvement opportunities are endless, keep moving.

Keep improving bit by bit. As long as you don't stop trying, you will be better. Use what you have effectively.