Other Worlds

1. Strive for continuous improvement. Things can always get better no matter how good or bad they may be now.
2. Always questions tradition and, when necessary, discard the old to make way for the new.
3. Acquire wisdom by consulting with many people rather than relying on one expert.
4. Don’t waste time making excuses but focus on finding solutions.
5. Make sure you base your decisions on facts rather than opinions.
6. Get to the root cause of a situation or problem by asking “Why?” at least 5 times.
7. Before spending money to fix a problem, look for simple and inexpensive solutions.
8. Always question the status quo.
9. Start making improvements right away, even if you don’t yet have all the answers.
10. Make sure everyone is involved. Real change must include everyone who works on a project, not only those at the top. At Toyota, for example, any worker has the authority to stop production if he notices a problem.

There are many ways to interpret Kaizen so you may find some variations on the above principles. These points, especially when taken together are more powerful than they first appear. Keep in mind that Kaizen was never merely an abstract theory. When Imai and others developed the ideas of Kaizen, they were basing it on observation of people and companies that were accomplishing incredible results.