Kaizen
Kaizen is a Japanese word that means improvement. As a business concept, Kaizen was introduced by author Masaaki Imai as a systematic approach to business improvement.
This week, I have been engaging in some personal Kaizen – I went back to class for a craft I’ve been working on since I was a kid. It was time to up-skill and sit under a person I consider a master at the craft. And boy have I had assumptions shattered!
Sometimes we get “so good at something” based on our standards. And possibly those around us also contribute to our acquired arrogance because they probably haven’t met anyone better or they just love you and want to encourage you. I was there for a while, but there was a nagging feeling that there was a higher level I needed to get to but I was not there yet.
I have always been a magnet for new learning but in this craft, I got to some comfort level and relaxed. I may be able to blame it on divided attention – doing too many things at a time; fear of having to do more if and when I know more; fear of expansion, and the possible criticism that may come with that. FEAR! A faceless possibility that could go either way. It may or may not happen. So I finally stepped up to the podium and preached to myself. It was time to up-skill and face whatever comes – success or failure.
One of the things I’ve learned this week is every craft is dynamic. The science of this particular craft hasn’t changed much. But there was a lot of information I had no idea about and I didn’t know that I didn’t know it! As a result, I kept tweaking things I had no business tampering with. The artistic side of this craft is a whole other ball game! Looking back now – I feel like I went in knowing nothing. I learned that so much had changed, improved, been discovered, name it – and all along I was here in my corner thinking I knew it all and all I knew was enough. I am still working up the courage to go around and apologize to everyone I bestowed my mediocrity on, albeit with so much love.
So as I go into the weekend, I have a lot of reflection to do. Where have I settled in mediocrity? In what areas of my interests has the world moved on and left me at the bus stop wondering why the bus is late? Am I open to questioning what I know and am I curious enough to look out for what I don’t know? Am I still teachable? If not, do I know where I lost my teach-ability and can I go back and find it?
Fruit is either growing to maturity, ripening or rotting. A person is either improving, stagnating, or declining. I want to be ever-improving, learning, evolving, and growing. It is a painful process but you have to be willing to endure the pain in terms of the cost of growth in money and time currencies. If you don’t make those investments, you will soon find your cheese stale or finished and the world will have moved on without you. Where in your life do you need to practice Kaizen? Where have you succumbed to your blind spots and comfort zones? Make a change today, your growth is at stake.
“When you become stagnant and aren’t improving by the day, you are only moving toward your failure.”
“There is always something more that you can learn about your industry, your business, your product or yourself.”
~ Pooja Agnihotri
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