“Of all factors of work, only man can learn and grow from within himself, and it is he who undertakes every kind of action. Only if people constantly practice improving by questioning their own premises and looking for new solutions will the process in their environment also improve. This is the only way he can cross borders, and then he can innovate in the sense of a complete renewal,” says Kaizen expert Shunji Yagyu, who has been leading workshops for German companies for 25 years.
Also read: Kaizen expert Shunji Yagyu gives tips for the Japanese management philosophy
In Japan, Kaizen efforts are aimed at satisfying customers with convincing products and services and at retaining them in the long term. In this context, all employees are encouraged to make their own suggestions for improvement. In practice, this means that changes are discussed, planned and tried out. Then they are critically analyzed and, if necessary, adjusted until the product or process is perfected a little further. After that, however, superiors and subordinates continue to look for idle spots and soon tackle the next improvement.