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Essential Soft Skills for the Digital Age: KAIZEN THINKING
Learn the Critical Capability to Improve and Innovate in the Digital Age
Everyone wants to improve and innovate, but how to actually do it? While there are many tools out in the world, the most important factor is the Thinking required to systematically improve something, whether it is a strategy, a person, a product, a process or a service. Kaizen is a Japanese word that is familiar to many, literally meaning 'Change for the Better’. It is sometimes mischaracterised as 'small, incremental improvements’ but in reality Kaizen is much more open-ended. Not to be confused with a 'Kaizen Event’, which is a particular improvement method, Kaizen can actually refer to 3 things: Attitudes, Habits and Practices. These come together to form a New Way of Thinking and a New Way of Acting, two capabilities that are essential for innovating in the Digital Age.
Everyone wants to improve and innovate, but how to actually do it? While there are many tools out in the world, the most important factor is the Thinking required to systematically improve something, whether it is a strategy, a person, a product, a process or a service. Kaizen is a Japanese word that is familiar to many, literally meaning 'Change for the Better’. It is sometimes mischaracterised as 'small, incremental improvements’ but in reality Kaizen is much more open-ended. Not to be confused with a 'Kaizen Event’, which is a particular improvement method, Kaizen can actually refer to 3 things: Attitudes, Habits and Practices. These come together to form a New Way of Thinking and a New Way of Acting, two capabilities that are essential for innovating in the Digital Age.
Objective
The aim of this course is to equip you with the right thinking, mindset and practices that are needed to systematically and consistently improve anything in one’s life or one’s career. At the end of this workshop, you will be able to understand the fundamentals of Kaizen and its importance as a key enabler to achieving actual improvement. Participants will get to know how to craft an approach for Kaizen in their organisation, providing them with a critical advantage to help lead change, transformation and innovation initiatives.
Outline
Introduction to Kaizen
We start with a brief introduction to Kaizen: its meaning, history and organisational roots. Kaizen in the context of Continuous Improvement will be explored, and misconceptions will be clarified. We will also examine the characteristics of successful improvement approaches as well as practices to avoid.
The Basic Thinking Behind Kaizen
Tools and methods are good, but in order to breathe life into them there must be a set of basic thinking and attitudes. Kaizen Thinking is the engine that makes the actual improvement get done. But rather than a soft, fuzzy notion, Kaizen Thinking is a specific way of thinking through an opportunity to improve and innovate, in effect raising the bar of any kind of activity. We will introduce a relatively new technique that helps to actualise Kaizen Thinking.
Applying Kaizen Thinking
Participants will get to apply their new-found Kaizen Thinking to a particular improvement activity. A real case or simulation will be used to practice the Kaizen techniques so that participants will learn how improvement actually gets done. The exercises will be done in teams to reinforce the power of teamwork and collaboration in doing Kaizen.
Creating the Habit of Kaizen
It is not enough to know how to improve, but also how to do it consistently and sustainably. Various techniques to sustain Kaizen will be presented, and real examples will be demonstrated. Participants will share what methods they may have used for cross-pollination of good practices.
The Journey of Kaizen Thinking Starts Here
We will end by having an open team discussion of key learnings and personal experiences, sharing perspectives on how to do improvement and innovation in order to realise the realities of the new Digital Age. In the spirit of Kaizen Thinking, methods for continuous follow-up and learning will be recommended, including further coursework, reading, and other developmental approaches. As a conclusion, Key Points for the Kaizen Journey will be presented for final thoughts and reflection.
We start with a brief introduction to Kaizen: its meaning, history and organisational roots. Kaizen in the context of Continuous Improvement will be explored, and misconceptions will be clarified. We will also examine the characteristics of successful improvement approaches as well as practices to avoid.
The Basic Thinking Behind Kaizen
Tools and methods are good, but in order to breathe life into them there must be a set of basic thinking and attitudes. Kaizen Thinking is the engine that makes the actual improvement get done. But rather than a soft, fuzzy notion, Kaizen Thinking is a specific way of thinking through an opportunity to improve and innovate, in effect raising the bar of any kind of activity. We will introduce a relatively new technique that helps to actualise Kaizen Thinking.
Applying Kaizen Thinking
Participants will get to apply their new-found Kaizen Thinking to a particular improvement activity. A real case or simulation will be used to practice the Kaizen techniques so that participants will learn how improvement actually gets done. The exercises will be done in teams to reinforce the power of teamwork and collaboration in doing Kaizen.
Creating the Habit of Kaizen
It is not enough to know how to improve, but also how to do it consistently and sustainably. Various techniques to sustain Kaizen will be presented, and real examples will be demonstrated. Participants will share what methods they may have used for cross-pollination of good practices.
The Journey of Kaizen Thinking Starts Here
We will end by having an open team discussion of key learnings and personal experiences, sharing perspectives on how to do improvement and innovation in order to realise the realities of the new Digital Age. In the spirit of Kaizen Thinking, methods for continuous follow-up and learning will be recommended, including further coursework, reading, and other developmental approaches. As a conclusion, Key Points for the Kaizen Journey will be presented for final thoughts and reflection.
Who should attend
This course is aimed broadly at staff and professionals who are proactive in nature and wish to be on the leading edge of their personal and organisational journeys towards Change, Innovation and Transformation. They will leave this course equipped and energised to bring positive, sustainable improvement to any organisation, including both the private sector as well as the public sector.
Testimonials
"Thank you for this great training, one of my best training ever had, your vivid examples; personal experience, sense of humor and team exercise is very helpful."
Jeff Tong, Manager - Dell
"It was a great master class and I enjoyed myself thoroughly."
Erik Wee, Quality Manager - Pan Pacific Hotels
"Thanks for your enthusiasm in bringing us through the workshop. We felt our passion as much as we felt yours".
Ong, Sing Chin, Director - NTUC Eldercare
Jeff Tong, Manager - Dell
"It was a great master class and I enjoyed myself thoroughly."
Erik Wee, Quality Manager - Pan Pacific Hotels
"Thanks for your enthusiasm in bringing us through the workshop. We felt our passion as much as we felt yours".
Ong, Sing Chin, Director - NTUC Eldercare
Particular of John S. Hamalian
John S. Hamalian is a Change Catalyst with over 20 years of experience at General Motors, Dell and his own business, specialising in Innovation, Change and Transformation, Digital-Age Management, Strategy, Team Development and Lean/Agile Thinking. With assignments based in the USA, China, Korea, India and Singapore, he has held 2 Asia-Pacific Director positions. John coaches and trains organisations on how to innovate and transform, and is a lecturer at various universities, a published writer on Management and an active speaker at conferences, global corporations and public agencies.