Élan Kaizen Élan Enterprises LLC - Constant Never Ending Improvement - Plan DoStudy Act

Élan What is Kaizen? Kaizen (Ky’zen) “Kai” means “change” “zen” means “good (for the better)” Pronounced 'Gai San' in Chinese - Gai - The action to correct San - An action that truly benefits society or all people rather than one individual  Kaizen means: Gradual, orderly, and continuous improvement - Ongoing improvement involving everyone

Élan Conventional Thinking VS Kaizen Quality improvement takes extra time Work is a series of separate events Quality means hitting goals 95% is terrific Customers are who we sell to Quality improvement saves time and money Work is an integrated process Quality means constant improvement Only 100% is terrific Customers are an integral part of our company Conventional Thinking Kaizen

Élan If better is possible, good is not enough. Anonymous

Élan Roadblocks This won’t work We've always done it this way! Scotomas Stuck Paradigms The Way Out  Possibility thinking  Ask questions  Use lateral thinking  Look at old processes with new eyes

Élan Scotoma Its not what we know that’s killing us; its what we know that isn’t so that’s killing us.  It is our fundamental assumptions that get in the way of kaizen.

Élan Paradigms (Assumptions, staunch opinions & belief systems) Filter incoming data and experience Establish mental boundaries Influence our perception Act as filters that screen information as it comes in and cause selective seeing/hearing

Élan The Paradigm Effect Thomas Kuhn Everyone has a paradigm, either consciously or unconsciously.  If incoming data doesn’t match data that fits in their paradigm, people don’t see it.

Élan The Paradigm Effect... We see best what we are predisposed to see and we don’t see what we’re not predisposed to see. Swiss watchmaker story 16th Century Copernicus & the sun WWII - Women In the Workplace Rosie the Riveter Wright Brothers The world is flat!

Élan The Way Out! Every person …has to see himself or herself as a mini-CEO. They have to conceptualize what has to be done in the same way the CEO has. Then it cascades (down throughout the organization). Michael Walsh former CEO, Tenneco

Élan The Kaizen Secret Working ON the system and not IN it IN Reactive Crises Management Overwhelmed Sucked Into It ON Proactive Preventative Anticipatory Predictive Future Focused

Élan Question Your Process Ask the question that every child asks and every adult forgets to ask…….. WHY?

Élan Questions Worth Asking Why are we doing what we're doing? What IS working? What COULD BE WORKING Better? How can I (we) improve our products or services?

Élan Give people a big enoughWHY? And they can handle almost anyHOW?

Élan Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives. Willa A. Foster The Way Out!

Élan KISS - Keep It Simple, Sam! 1.Individual reflection on those systems and services that work well and those that need to be improved. (Use Kaizen #1 handout) 2.Team develops a collaborative list of items they feel need to be improved. (on butcher paper or integrated typed list) 3.Team picks one item to work on… a ‘win-able’. 4.Brainstorm ideas for improving the system or service. 5.Organize and prioritize the items. 6.Do it! Team works on action steps. 7.Study the results and continue Kaizen improvement process from there.

Élan Kaizen – Incremental Never Ending Improvement  Teach people to walk in the customer’s shoes and view what they do from the customer's perspective!  The level of detail necessary is to make a promise to both our internal and external customers and then keep it!  Consistently improve systems and services.