Kaizen | A Japanese Philosophy You Can Use to Improve Your Team Structure

“Renew the heart and make it good”, Kaizen is a Japanese term that can be translated as, “constant improvement for the good”.

Kaizen is the philosophy at the forefront of Toyota Motor Company’s operations. It is considered one of the world’s greatest manufacturers. There is even a book written about “The Toyota Way”.

Kaizen: Constant Improvement


At the heart of Kaizen is teamwork, making the philosophy a team building strategist’s dream! Every employee is encouraged to share his/her ideas for improvement and the smallest changes will often get consideration and implementation. Team members at Toyota are encouraged to find the minor details that could use improvement, and to make the improvement. Unorganized filing system? Sort the papers, alphabetize, color code, done.

kaizen

That sounds pretty basic right? Elementary thinking you may say. Well, even the most common sense approaches might come to a screeching halt if management doesn’t deem them an appropriate use of time. For instance- purging files.

Many companies restrict file purging as part of the work process. However, ANYONE who works in an office knows how quickly paperwork piles up and gets out of date, rendering it obsolete and useless. With all that pile up comes clutter, physical and mental, and that stops up the works.

It can be time management battle just to get even a couple of hours out of an entire year to go through the clutter and get rid of what is no longer needed, but it isn’t rocket science. Giving your employees time each quarter to go through their paperwork, clean out their offices and start fresh is essential for optimum productivity.

When you focus on clearing the old you tie up loose ends and clear a little space on your plate. You’re team is sure to feel renewed and ready to face challenges ahead.

Kaizen works for many reasons:

  1. It empowers employees to be decision makers
  2. It eliminates waste for your company
  3. Low cost, high impact results
  4. Savings can be used for your next team building event!

There are many more reasons why Kaizen is a philosophy every company should consider implementing. There are courses and certifications available to learn the deeper philosophies. There are also several books written about it. Maybe this one would be a good for your team’s book club?!

What are your thoughts? Are you familiar with Kaizen?

Have you made any small changes that had a huge impact on your team’s morale? We’d love to hear from you, please leave a comment below!

 

Flora Baxter

Team Contributor

Subscribe

Sign up for tips on crafting the perfect team.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Categories

Podcast

around the world podcast logo

Get ideas, inspiration and best practices from across the globe.

apple podcast logo spotify podcast logo

Be a Guest Blogger

Do you have any useful tips, tricks, guides, or valuable insights about company culture?

Learn more  

Sign up for tips on crafting the perfect team.

Less drama? Greater productivity and job satisfaction? Yes, you really can make an impact, and TeamBonding is here to help. Subscribe to our blog for useful tips, tricks and insights.

More great content based on your likes.

TeamBonding’s Guide to the Five Stages of Team Development

Developing strong and cohesive teams is essential for every business or organization, but team development doesn’t happen overnight. There are numerous stages of team development that can ultimately lead to a synergistic team, which carries with it many benefits. 

Read More  

Why Team Building Doesn’t Work

As a leader in your organization, you’re likely always looking for innovative ways to strengthen employee relationships. Creating a strong workplace culture that encourages teamwork is essential for increasing productivity and improving employee engagement. However, your workforce might not always see eye to eye with leadership when it comes to team building. Some employees may feel it’s nothing more than a chore while others might think that team building will not solve the underlying issues that are affecting workplace relationships. It may lead them to really question “does team building work”?

Read More  

6 DIY Team Building Activities That Work

It’s easy… right? You just need to find the right people with the right skills, put them in a room together, and you have a well-oiled team. They’re smart, and they know their stuff: they’ll figure out how to get the work done…except it doesn’t always work out that way. We provide a foundation for team building that lasts beyond your TeamBonding event; however, you’ll have the most success after your event by incorporating team bonding activities into your company culture throughout the year. And if the budget is tight, that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything at all. Here are 6 DIY team building activities guaranteed to help your team build those lasting connections!

Read More  

5 Ideas for Motivational Team Building Activities for Employees in 2024

For decades now, there has been an acute issue plaguing HR workers and managers around motivational team building activities for employees. An unmotivated employee or team can lead to decreased productivity and morale, higher turnover, and a lack of cohesion throughout the organization. There are many theories on how to best motivate employees. Some think that monetary incentives are the only way to truly motivate employees, while others believe motivation can be found through a better work culture or by cultivating motivational activities for employees. Before we can truly understand how to motivate work teams and employees and our favorite motivational activities for employees, we must first understand the different types of workplace motivators.

Read More  

Questions? Need a quote?

Complete this form to get started or call 877-472-2725.

Loading Icon

Create Your Free Account

Get exclusive access to new programs from the TeamBonding Lab, save your favorite ideas, and track your upcoming events.
Already have an account? Login

Please wait...

Sign-in

Don't yet have an account?
Create a Free Account

Forgot Your Password? Password Reset