What a quick dose of Kaizen can do
“Kaizen” is Japanese for improvement – a common definition according to Wikipedia is “the philosophy or practices that focus upon continuous improvement of processes in manufacturing, engineering, supporting business processes, and management”. Kaizen became very important to me after experiencing utter failure in my first job as a manager – granted, I was making a very hard transition from being a top salesperson (where it’s all about me) to management (where it’s all about them) but still, I was awful. Instead of trying to get from Point A (bad manager) to Point B (great manager) my wonderful business coach taught me that it was all about continuous improvement. I may not be where I want to be right now, but I’m better than I was yesterday and I should still be better tomorrow…if I work on improving my skills on a continuous basis.
Training has changed as our learning styles have changed as well. I don’t think anyone goes by the old rule they need only get “one great thing” from a training class, the whole experience needs to be worth. These days, training companies like Phoenix Training do an excellent job of combining pre-training consulting, one-on-one coaching and classroom training to provide a holistic experience that addresses needs for management coaching, team building and skills training. (Read some of their case studies to see how companies around the world are implementing training these days)
In a way, I’m really glad that I struggled so much because it instilled in me a love of training, and of gaining new knowledge. I see so many companies find a recipe for marketing or PR that works at that time, and they act as though they never have to address it again. In our world today of social media, blogging and digital influence, this can be a brand killer. Our customers are moving quickly from the hottest app to to the next big thing, and we have to continually find them…and continually improve how we engage with them.
In a challenging economy, it’s sometimes hard to justify spending money on training. I would argue that those people and companies who spend money on it now, are the ones who will survive into the next round of economic growth. What’s your attitude toward training right now? Where has continuous improvement served you well?
Tags: continuous improvement, learning new skills, Marketing
August 30th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Good post
re: from being a top salesperson (where it’s all about me) to management (where it’s all about them) but still, I was awful.
I don’t recall everything precisely, but I hope you are not referring to your branch manager role at Shamrock as the first management role. If so, not true. I still use tidbits you taught me in my life and work.
P.C.
August 30th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
You are being too kind Mr. Cashin. I think you have “shamnesia” about that first year though!
August 31st, 2010 at 2:25 am
information very useful for me, Thanks for sharing
August 31st, 2010 at 2:56 am
I really like your idea and the way you present it. Kaizen idea is a very interesting topic most especially if you are in the business. Like Platonic Theory, the use of the stomach, heart and brain to obtain peace and to balance everything in life in harmony. Learning Kaizen would really improve you balance your time, money and business relations. Thank for this very informative article. I do really like this one.
August 31st, 2010 at 6:02 am
I had not heard of Platonic theory…sounds like a good blog topic I will check it out!
August 31st, 2010 at 3:54 pm
When I was managing others I was told that they appreciated my leadership style because I held them accountable, but I wasn’t constantly staring over their shoulders. I made my priorities clear and they kept me informed about their projects and progress. The hardest part about managing for me is delegating the work on my plate, because I love to do it myself and (in my little world) no one else can do it the exact way I want it. Letting go is very hard, but I think we can all make improvements to ourselves. Eastern philosophy has always been an inspiration to me.
September 8th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
The first major company I worked for had as their mission statement Kaizen, brings back some memories.
December 26th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
All of people next year might be greater after reading this post!
December 26th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Reader’s next year can be greater after reading this post!
August 23rd, 2011 at 12:44 am
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