Kaizen: A Method of Change
Kaizen started as a US Military process of continuous improvement and was adopted in Japan after WW II. It was then that the practice was named Kaizen.
Kaizen means:
- Ask small questions.
- Think small thoughts.
- Take small actions.
- Solve small problems.
- Small rewards along the way.
Change is Scary
Our primal (limbic) brains highjack our thinking brain when there is a perceived threat to our psychological well-being, much like the physical threat of a lion attack did on our forefathers.
When you say, “May I make a suggestion?” it can sound like “May I kidnap your spouse and children?”
The fear of change could trigger the limbic fight or flight response. In a battle between the prefrontal cortex (thinking brain) and the limbic system (emotional processing), the limbic systems wins.
Kaizen’s small changes help us tip toe past our amygdala and accomplish change that might be intimidating if viewed as a monolithic challenge, The Kaizen principle underlies the Sales Mastery approach I have developed and recommend.