Kaizen: A Complete Guide to Continuous Improvement

What is continuous improvement (Kaizen)?

Kaizen is a compound of two Japanese terms, kai meaning “change” and zen meaning “good”. This term defines the idea of continuous improvement which is the basis of Lean thinking. 

Overall, Kaizen, or continuous improvement, is the idea that small, iterative changes to a process can compound to have massive benefits in the long-term.

The key word here is iterative. There is a reason why it is called CONTINUOUS improvement.

Whenever there is a goal you want to achieve, whether that be in your work or in your personal life, it is vital that you focus on small changes and continuously implement these improvements over a long period of time to drive massive results.

This idea of Kaizen was originally developed within the framework of Lean manufacturing, but you can also apply the idea of continuous improvement in every area of your life such as your work, personal goals, and relationships.

By the end of this article, you will have a clear understanding of Kaizen, such as:

• Why it is so important
• The key elements to succeeding at it
• Tools you can use to help implement it
• Examples of it in all areas of life

Why is Kaizen important?

So what’s all the fuss about continuous improvement? Why can’t we just make one big change all at once and call it done?

It’s definitely less exciting to make small, iterative improvements than it is to make one massive change all in one sitting, but continuous improvement is by far a more sustainable approach to any problem or goal.

An example of why Kaizen is so important

For example, let’s say you have a goal of losing weight:

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One percent better everyday

Making a one percent change to your daily habits will not feel like a large burden in the moment which will allow you to easily implement it in your routine. Then, as you continue to make these very small changes everyday, they will compound into a large change over time. 

The same goes for getting one percent worse at something. If you slowly implement bad habits in your life, they may not have a drastic impact on your life immediately, but they will have massive detrimental results in the long-term.

Therefore, it is key that we focus on making small, sustainable, positive changes everyday to drive continuous improvement in any facet of our lives.

What are the keys to succeed with Kaizen?

Now that you understand why the idea of Kaizen, or continuous improvement, is so important, let’s take a look at the top 10 ideas you need to keep in mind in order to succeed at it.

1. Create an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing ideas

One of the most important aspects of continuous improvement, especially within a company or organization, is making sure that everyone from all levels is involved in making improvements. To achieve this, organizations will need to create an environment where everyone feels as though they have a voice in making changes.

In practice, Kaizen is more than just an action plan to make improvements; it is a way of thinking that needs to spread to everyone in an organization in order to be most effective. It is not helpful if senior leadership or manager-level employees are engaging in discussions of continuous improvement if they are not engaging the frontline workers.

Organizations can create this environment by:

• Training all employees on the concept of Kaizen 
• Hosting focused Kaizen events where all personnel involved in a particular process can voice their thoughts on potential improvements

Beyond the manufacturing or corporate environment, this idea of creating a space where everyone feels comfortable voicing an opinion is also vital when it comes to improving personal relationships. If all parties do not have a voice in a relationship, this will create conflict since someone may feel disrespected.

This first point is then closely related to the next key for success in continuous improvement…

2. Involve cross-functional teams in all improvements 

Once an environment exists where everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts, it is important that a cross-functional team is involved in making all improvements. 

This ensures that you are capturing ALL thoughts and perspectives before making a change. Therefore, you will avoid making changes that only benefit certain groups involved in a process.

This will result in increased efficiency and productivity in the long-term, as well as increased satisfaction from all involved groups.

3. Avoid any small losses due to waste

When you are trying to decide on what to improve in a process at work or in your daily life, you should consider if you have any sources of waste in the current process. 

The primary focus of Lean thinking is reducing waste in order to improve efficiency and productivity. Therefore, there are 8 identified forms of waste in Lean. These 8 wastes are:

1. Defects
2. Overproduction
3. Waiting
4. Non-utilized talent
5. Transportation
6. Inventory
7. Motion
8. Excess Processing

You can get a full overview of the 8 wastes of Lean and examples of each in both a manufacturing environment and daily life in my article here. 

When you look into any process, I guarantee you will find at least one of these forms of waste. This can be an easy starting point for continuous improvement.

4. Let go of assumptions or the status quo

In order to continuously improve, you must be able to think outside of the status quo. If you continue to do things a certain way because “that’s how they have always been done”, you’re not allowing yourself the opportunity to see areas for improvement. This will leave you in a place of stagnation. 

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”

Henry Ford

In Kaizen, we are always striving for better results so we must be willing to try new ideas and methods.

5. Use an iterative approach to avoid perfectionism

In Lean thinking, continuous improvement is one of the five principles of Lean, but this is also sometimes referred to as “strive for perfection”. 

This name can be a bit misleading though…

If you approach Kaizen with a mindset of perfectionism, you will likely never get started because you are looking for the perfect solution.

Therefore, you should treat continuous improvement as an iterative process where you slowly improve a process step-by-step. That is why it’s called CONTINUOUS improvement after all.

This also leads into the next point… 

6. Think small to avoid paralysis

In order to avoid perfectionism in a process, it is key to think small. This means that you should create small, intermediate goals that you work towards on your way to achieving a larger goal.

Therefore, you will avoid feeling paralyzed by overwhelm from having such a large mountain to climb to reach your goal.

For example, if your goal is to write a book, you can break this down into very small steps. These could include:

1. Determine a topic
2. Complete your research
3. Determine what sub-sections or chapters you want to include
4. Write an outline
5. Begin writing the content one chapter at a time

7. Avoid always going for the obvious solution

It is also key to avoid tackling the obvious solution every time you want to improve a process. The obvious solution is likely very surface level and won’t achieve the maximum potential.

Therefore, it is vital that you do research at the beginning of the improvement process. Root cause analysis can be a very useful tool for this.

In Lean, some root cause analysis tools include Ishikawa or fishbone diagrams, the 5 Why technique, Pareto charts, fault tree analyses, and failure mode and effects analyses (FMEA). 

These tools will give you a better idea of all the root causes of the problem you are trying to solve or improve. Therefore, you will have a much clearer path to follow when approaching continuous improvement.

8. Remove any obstacles 

When implementing continuous improvement in either a manufacturing environment or daily life, it is also key that you remove any obstacles that prevent the improvement cycle from happening.

In a manufacturing environment, this includes removing any obstacles that prevent employees from engaging with new improvement ideas. You can achieve this by implementing clear processes for giving suggestions such as: 

• hosting Kaizen events, 
• creating suggestion boxes, 
• or completing daily Gemba walks.

For personal goals, this would likely mean removing any distractions from your life that prevent you from carrying through with the improvement. You can achieve this by:

• building solid habits,
• time blocking your schedule so that you have dedicated time to work towards your goals,
• or communicating your goals to those around you so that they can support you.

9. Measure your progress 

Once you have started to improve your process or work towards a goal, you MUST be sure to measure your progress. This will allow you to see how you are doing in relation to your target state as well as areas for improvement.

If you are working towards a goal with others, such as in a manufacturing environment, you must also ensure that everyone involved in the process is aware of where the progress stands. That way, they can continue to offer valid feedback and suggestions to further improve.

10. Recognize that you will never be done 

The final point you must remember if you want to succeed at continuous improvement is that you will never be done. Again, it is called CONTINUOUS for a reason.

As you implement changes to improve a particular process, you will undoubtedly uncover new areas that you can work to improve. 

You will also begin to recognize other areas of the company or other areas of your life that need improvement.

As you continue to practice Kaizen, it will get easier since you, and those around you, will adapt to the new mindset of thinking towards improvement. 

What are some tools you can use to implement continuous improvement?

LEAN TOOL	DEFINITION	IMPORTANCE FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Kaizen Event	Kaizen events are focused continuous improvement projects where cross-functional teams come together to develop improvements.	Kaizen events introduce the concepts of continuous improvement to a group and help to drive a widespread cultural change towards this way of thinking.
Gemba Walk	Gemba walks use the “go-and-see” approach. During a Gemba walk, managers will spend time walking through the production area, learning the process, and engaging with employees.	Gemba walks give an opportunity for leaders to get a better sense for a process and allow frontline workers time to offer suggestions for potential improvements.
Root Cause Analysis	Root cause analysis helps you to identify the sources of the problem you face. Some tools that can be used for root cause analysis include Ishikawa or fishbone diagrams, the 5 Why technique, Pareto charts, fault tree analyses, and failure mode and effects analyses (FMEA).	Root cause analysis allows you to develop a clearer picture of the problem and its causes. This will give you a defined path for improvements.
Suggestion Boxes	Suggestion boxes are rather self-explanatory. They are boxes placed in a convenient area where all employees can submit suggestions for possible improvements.	Suggestion boxes allow all involved parties an easy way to become engaged in the continuous improvement process. This is vital for ensuring all perspectives are captured in prospective solutions.
Value Stream Mapping	Value stream mapping is a process where a cross-functional team outlines all steps involved in a process. You can then designate these steps as value add or non-value add.	Value stream mapping allows you to identify sources of waste in a process. These sources of waste are very good areas to eliminate or reduce to achieve continuous improvement.
5S	5S is an organization technique where you leave only required materials and tools in an area. You then intentionally place each item in the ideal location for efficiency.	5S helps reduce waste in a process due to unnecessary motion when looking for a tool or bending/reaching to grab a tool. Therefore, it can be a key tool for improving process efficiency.
Problem Solving Techniques	Problem solving techniques allow you to create a clear plan for how you will test, implement, and improve upon any possible solutions. Some problem solving techniques in Lean include the PDCA cycle, the DMAIC approach, A3, and 8D.	Problem solving techniques provide a clear path for any current improvements you are working on as well as a way to continually improve upon the results of a particular improvement.

Examples of continuous improvement (Kaizen) in work and life

You can use the concept of Kaizen or continuous improvement in any area of life. Some examples include:

Conclusion

Kaizen, or continuous improvement, can allow you to achieve massive long-term goals or solutions by slowly implementing positive changes. When you develop the ability to think with a mindset of continuous improvement, there is no end to the goals you can achieve.

If you are able to practice the ideas of continuous improvement outlined in this article, I guarantee that you will see drastic benefits in both your work and your personal life.

Are there any areas in your life where you think you could benefit from the Kaizen approach? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!