Start at the Top
For a Kaizen mindset to take hold and become embedded into
an organization or company’s way of doing business or psyche
it must begin with the leadership. Their full and complete commitment
to learning, sharing, supporting and teaching is critical to successful
Genba transformation. We begin by ensuring that all levels of
leadership undergo the same training that will be communicated
with the rest of management and staff. This sends a powerful message
to the organization that Kaizen is here to stay.
Learn by Doing
Shingijutsu believes that teaching is only a small part of the
equation to Kaizen.
The fact is that as humans we tend to retain
the majority of what they learn from “doing” or action
learning, not from classroom teachings. With that in mind, Shingijutsu
sensei focus on getting kaizen students to the Genba to observe
and act — to
re-examine work problems from a much different perspective
than they’re used to, and prescribe solutions that they themselves
devise.
And they learn to ask a lot of questions in the process.
Why Ask “Why?”
Often times, a client’s best people are working on solutions
to problems. But how many times does that problem return time
and again?
One of the most important exercises we conduct in kaizen is getting to and understanding the root causes of a problem.
By asking the question “why?” at least five times from different perspectives, the root causes will be uncovered.
Over time, this relentless pursuit of root causes becomes ingrained
in you and your people. It becomes second nature for them to question
the evidence of a problem, to drill down and identify the underlying
factors that so often lurk well below the surface issue. Imagine
the productivity gains possible with a workforce of people thinking
this way!
Nothing Like a Little Moonshine
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Once the root causes are identified, we get to the matter
of solution creation. Here’s where Shingijutsu thinking
takes an exciting and innovative approach called moonshine,
and yes, it’s perfectly legal.
Moonshine is about creating something of value from spare and/or
under-utilized items. This concept is based on the moonshine
stills found in the Appalachian Mountains during Prohibition.
When it became impossible for anyone to buy liquor, the people
had to become creative to solve this dilemma. In secret often
by the light of the moon, people would take common
items found sitting around and they created stills. These
stills were small, inexpensive and easily moved if necessary.
They “right
sized” for their operations. These same ideas can be
used when solving problems within your organization or company.
This unique approach was invented by Shingijutsu and can provide
amazing and sustainable results in a short amount of time. |
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