Kaizen

Kaizen is a Japanese concept meaning continuous improvement. It emerged in the early 1950s after World War II as a method to rebuild industry through small, consistent changes.

The term combines two Japanese words: kai (change) and zen (good).

In his 1986 book “Kaizen: The Key to Japan’s Competitive Success,” Masaaki Imai helped popularise Kaizen in the west.

While Imai introduced the philosophy globally, its practical application was developed by Taiichi Ohno and others as part of the Toyota Production System (TPS) after WW II.

Instead of trying to make huge changes all at once, Kaizen focuses on improving a little bit every day in all areas of one’s life.