Kaizen is a Japanese concept that refers to the practice of continuous improvement. The word “kaizen” is made up of two Japanese characters: “kai” (change) and “zen” (good). Together, they represent the idea of making small, incremental changes to improve a process or product over time.
The kaizen approach is based on the belief that even small improvements, when made consistently over time, can lead to significant gains in efficiency, productivity, and quality. And while this mindset is most often applied to manufacturing and business, since you are also a work in progress as a founder, why not apply them to you, too?
The kaizen approach involves several key principles, including:
Continuous improvement: The focus is on making small, incremental improvements on an ongoing basis, rather than waiting for major breakthroughs or overhauls.
Respect for people: There is an emphasis on involving all employees in the improvement process and creating a culture of mutual respect and collaboration.
Standardization: There is importance placed on standardizing processes and procedures to eliminate waste and inefficiencies.
Elimination of waste: The approach aims to identify and eliminate any unnecessary or inefficient steps in a process, in order to maximize efficiency and quality.

So how can you apply these principles to your own development?
Develop new habits: By making small, incremental changes to your habits over time, you can create lasting changes that improve your health, well-being, and overall quality of life.
Learning new skills: If you break down your large goals into smaller, more manageable steps, you can reduce overwhelm and make consistent progress towards mastering a new skill or area of expertise.
Building self-awareness: It’s important to reflect regularly on your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (which we mentioned in our article about developing your inner wisdom) to develop greater self-awareness and emotional intelligence.
Improving relationships: It’s important to foster and nourish relationships with others by encouraging people on your team to make small, consistent efforts to improve communication, empathy, and understanding.
By applying the powerful kaizen approach to your own growth and development as a founder, you can improve your company’s culture, encourage the individuals on your team to grow and develop, and create a higher quality of life for everyone in your orbit.
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Global Round-Up is our Friday collection of interesting tidbits and tools from around the globe, curated to support women founders as they scale their ideas.