-
Everything can and should be improved.
(Some
Japanese managers go as far as to
say to their subordinates, "Regard
whatever you do now as the 'worst'
way to do your job.")
-
Not a single day should go
by without some kind of
improvement being made somewhere in the
company.
-
Don't just criticize, suggest an
improvement.
-
Think beyond common sense. Even if something is working, try to
find the ways to make it work even better.
-
Customer-driven
strategy for improvement – any management activity should eventually
lead to increased
customer satisfaction.
-
Imagine the ideal customer experience
and strive to provide it.
-
Quality
first, not profit
first – an enterprise can prosper only if customers who purchase its
products or services are satisfied.
-
Recognize
that any corporation has problems and establish a
corporate culture where
everyone can freely admit these problems and suggest improvement.
-
Think of how to improve it instead of
why it can't be improved.
-
See
problem solving as
cross-functional systemic and collaborative approach.
-
Emphasis on
process
– establish
a way of
thinking oriented at improving processes, and a management
system that supports and acknowledges people's process-oriented
efforts for improvement.
-
Start with scarcity. It's hard to see
the need for
Kaizen when resources are plentiful.
-
When there is a worker or
supplier performance problem, don't replace them. Keep them and
help them improve instead.
