It’s a bit too much for someone or how the kaizen method affected my work
You often make promises to yourself, but do not keep them. A major task scares you and paralyzes you. You work hard and then scold yourself: "We had to do little by little, but every day." I will tell you about the effective method that I personally experienced.
My usual work style is unceremonious. First you pull, you pull, and then - bam, mobilize, work in supersonic mode, and after finishing things in euphoria and fatigue, you budge on the sofa. But for me as a freelancer, this approach is fraught with problems.
About half a year ago, I read Robert Maurer's book, Step by Step, Towards Achieving the Goal, about the kaizen method. In some places she skeptically grunted, in others she assented knowingly, in others she shouted: “Oh, what a nonsense!”
The essence of the method: to go to the goal in small steps. And it’s specifically small: march 1 minute a day in front of the TV, break off one slice of chocolate and throw it away, put only one product out of the cart, refuse one cigarette per day, and so on.
People usually solve their problems either like me, in sharp jerks (innovation method), or slowly but systematically (kaizen method). All these pictures with deadlines, jokes about students and the session, or about what only guests motivate for quick cleaning just illustrate the first method.
Logging on to SmartProgress, I watch people go towards their goal. And I see the undoubted advantage of the kaizen method. Going to the goal with gradual regular steps is not so difficult, as you suddenly immediately start running 10 laps around the stadium or learn 50 new words in Italian in one day.
About the kaizen method
The success and advantage of the method lies in psychology.
Taking small steps does not block the cerebral cortex, and it creates a kind of software for the desired change, forming new nervous connections and new habits. We stop resisting change and are drawn into a new business, moving faster towards our goal.
Imagine two people. One decided every day to read 5 pages of some useful book (for example, Robert Maurer, “Step by Step to the Goal”). The second grinned: “Five pages? Well this is about nothing! I can easily get together and read this book for a couple of days! I’ll start tomorrow, otherwise there’s no time today. ”
Guess what will be the final result in a month? I would like to believe that the second person will keep his word and devote time to self-development, but most often small steps lead to results, and such “heroic jerks” leave us in place.
What the kaizen method consists of
It includes 6 strategies.
1. Ask small questions.
2. Think small thoughts.
3. Perform small actions.
4. Solve small problems.
5. Notice small moments.
6. Hand out small rewards.
Strategy number 1. Ask small questions .
"Small" - means the most specific. Not "How to make our company the best?", But "Suggest one small step to increase sales."
The human brain is afraid of global questions, but answers to specific ones quite willingly. Check for yourself. Which question is easier for you to answer: "How to lose weight in six months?" Or "What can I do today to reduce weight?". Concrete questions prompt us to take action.
Kaizen Reception
Ask small questions, perhaps even several times. For example, asking the question “What can I do today to start growing as a professional?”, You can come up with different answers:
• "Read books";
• “Attend training”;
• “Watch successful people.”
We need the smallest but clear answer like “Make a list of books for professional growth”.
Strategy number 2. Think small thoughts.
The essence of strategy is to use the technique of mental sculpture. Imagine in all details how you perform a certain action (speaking to the public, calling a nervous client or going to the boss “on the carpet”).
Kaizen reception
Imagine yourself performing an important task, just 15 seconds a day (small action) - as the author recommends. Comfortably settle in a quiet place, imagine that you were in the right situation. Now look at everything that is happening from the outside: how others look, what is their facial expression, how they nod approvingly. Using a mental sculpture, imagine everything down to the smallest detail: smell, color, sound, air temperature.
Once you master this technique in a positive way, work it out in a negative way, presenting the most disgusting scenario. And after completing all these stages, having felt that you are ready to begin the difficult task, take the next small step, for example, speak to just one listener.
Strategy number 3. Do small actions
This is the core of Kaizen philosophy. Small steps sometimes seem ridiculous and useless, but it really works, people!
Little success encourages you to perform more complex tasks. I, like that person from the example above, do not want to read 5 pages a day. My attention is scattered, I do not remember what I read yesterday, I have to drive into the topic for a long time. It’s easier for me to sit down at 8 pm for a book and to postpone it at 4 am. But, having read “Step by Step to Achieving the Goal” and having nearly torn off one project because of my approach to business, I think: “Let me try, I have nothing to lose.”
Kaizen reception from my experience
Set the goal of "Write an article." I determined that I need to write 1000 characters a day (approximately ½ A4 sheet), left time for editing and reading. In total, I needed 4 days. I managed for two.
This strategy reminds me of the “ Eat an Elephant in Chunks ” method , but for some reason the book inspired me to use this approach ..
Starting small, we will achieve more than if we don’t do anything at all or wait for the New Year to make another promise workout.
Strategy number 4. Solve small problems.
Look around, find the little things that annoy you and deal with them. Otherwise, these little things will unite and an avalanche of the heavy consequences of ignoring small problems will cover you.
The author describes how Toyota introduced the kaizen method into its work. If the worker saw a marriage on the conveyor, he could pull the cord and the container stopped to fix the defect in the part. It would seem a trifle, and even an absurd one: it’s anyone who thinks it can affect the operation of the conveyor!
But this decision allowed Toyota to maintain a reputation as a manufacturer of high-quality cars. But competitors who neglected to correct trifles suffered losses.
Kaizen Reception
Remember your serious mistakes and consider if there were any warning signals. What could you do differently?
Think about your goal. What little mistake did you make today? Are there any little things that annoy you, but you have no time to eliminate them? How can you deal with them right now?
Strategy # 5. Hand out small rewards.
Encourage yourself by creating intrinsic motivation. Moreover, the award should be small, often symbolic. Psychologists believe that a high incentive inhibits self-improvement, forcing a person to work for a reward.
How can you reward yourself for success in achieving the goal?
Kaizen-reception
The award should be:
• adequate to the goal. If you walked a distance of 500 meters, do not have a grand celebration in your honor.
• adequate to humans. Consider the individual characteristics of the person you want to reward or reward. One pleases the simple “Thank you,” the other needs a more detailed compliment.
Strategy number 6. Identify small moments.
Be observant. Any little thing can be the primary source of a brilliant solution. For example, an engineer who was walking with his dog, drew attention to the sticking thistle and came up with Velcro.
Kaizen Reception
Show curiosity and be open to everything new. Talk to people who have a different point of view in order to understand why they hold such an opinion.
Kaizen in my interpretation
Incorrectly applying the kaizen method, you can be exposed to the following danger: you rely too much on small actions, and therefore do not begin to do something more global.
I use kaizen mainly for the mood to work (if it is not pleasant to me). I noticed - even just browsing sites on the desired topic several times a day, I’m already getting ready for the task. Thoughts, associations appear, the skeleton of the article is gradually being formed.
Then I make a plan. And then kaizen is powerless against my desire to solve everything by the method of innovation)) But I try to break the task into small stages and work on it systematically.
Now I am working on one large project, according to which I need to give out 5,000 characters daily, clean, without preliminary work. And if suddenly I couldn’t manage to make this volume, I still open the document and write as much as I can.
In my opinion, SmartProgress and the kaizen method work perfectly in the same team, and here's why:
1. The ability to keep a diary. It is easy to divide the achievement of the goal into the smallest stages and visually note the passage of each.
2. Each item of the plan while achieving the goal can be commented. And do not forget to please yourself with small rewards.
3. Small problems are easier to notice and eliminate, because your plan is before your eyes. And if you don’t know how to fix it, ask your friends.
4. Acting with like-minded people (if the goal is created in a group), you can notice interesting moments in achieving the goals of other people, for example, what resources they use and how you can apply them in your situation.
The kaizen method helps to overcome fear of a new, unpleasant or especially big task and tune in to its effective solution. Try it, you really have nothing to lose!
My usual work style is unceremonious. First you pull, you pull, and then - bam, mobilize, work in supersonic mode, and after finishing things in euphoria and fatigue, you budge on the sofa. But for me as a freelancer, this approach is fraught with problems.
About half a year ago, I read Robert Maurer's book, Step by Step, Towards Achieving the Goal, about the kaizen method. In some places she skeptically grunted, in others she assented knowingly, in others she shouted: “Oh, what a nonsense!”
The essence of the method: to go to the goal in small steps. And it’s specifically small: march 1 minute a day in front of the TV, break off one slice of chocolate and throw it away, put only one product out of the cart, refuse one cigarette per day, and so on.
People usually solve their problems either like me, in sharp jerks (innovation method), or slowly but systematically (kaizen method). All these pictures with deadlines, jokes about students and the session, or about what only guests motivate for quick cleaning just illustrate the first method.
Logging on to SmartProgress, I watch people go towards their goal. And I see the undoubted advantage of the kaizen method. Going to the goal with gradual regular steps is not so difficult, as you suddenly immediately start running 10 laps around the stadium or learn 50 new words in Italian in one day.
About the kaizen method
The success and advantage of the method lies in psychology.
Taking small steps does not block the cerebral cortex, and it creates a kind of software for the desired change, forming new nervous connections and new habits. We stop resisting change and are drawn into a new business, moving faster towards our goal.
Imagine two people. One decided every day to read 5 pages of some useful book (for example, Robert Maurer, “Step by Step to the Goal”). The second grinned: “Five pages? Well this is about nothing! I can easily get together and read this book for a couple of days! I’ll start tomorrow, otherwise there’s no time today. ”
Guess what will be the final result in a month? I would like to believe that the second person will keep his word and devote time to self-development, but most often small steps lead to results, and such “heroic jerks” leave us in place.
What the kaizen method consists of
It includes 6 strategies.
1. Ask small questions.
2. Think small thoughts.
3. Perform small actions.
4. Solve small problems.
5. Notice small moments.
6. Hand out small rewards.
Strategy number 1. Ask small questions .
"Small" - means the most specific. Not "How to make our company the best?", But "Suggest one small step to increase sales."
The human brain is afraid of global questions, but answers to specific ones quite willingly. Check for yourself. Which question is easier for you to answer: "How to lose weight in six months?" Or "What can I do today to reduce weight?". Concrete questions prompt us to take action.
Kaizen Reception
Ask small questions, perhaps even several times. For example, asking the question “What can I do today to start growing as a professional?”, You can come up with different answers:
• "Read books";
• “Attend training”;
• “Watch successful people.”
We need the smallest but clear answer like “Make a list of books for professional growth”.
Strategy number 2. Think small thoughts.
The essence of strategy is to use the technique of mental sculpture. Imagine in all details how you perform a certain action (speaking to the public, calling a nervous client or going to the boss “on the carpet”).
Kaizen reception
Imagine yourself performing an important task, just 15 seconds a day (small action) - as the author recommends. Comfortably settle in a quiet place, imagine that you were in the right situation. Now look at everything that is happening from the outside: how others look, what is their facial expression, how they nod approvingly. Using a mental sculpture, imagine everything down to the smallest detail: smell, color, sound, air temperature.
Once you master this technique in a positive way, work it out in a negative way, presenting the most disgusting scenario. And after completing all these stages, having felt that you are ready to begin the difficult task, take the next small step, for example, speak to just one listener.
Strategy number 3. Do small actions
This is the core of Kaizen philosophy. Small steps sometimes seem ridiculous and useless, but it really works, people!
Little success encourages you to perform more complex tasks. I, like that person from the example above, do not want to read 5 pages a day. My attention is scattered, I do not remember what I read yesterday, I have to drive into the topic for a long time. It’s easier for me to sit down at 8 pm for a book and to postpone it at 4 am. But, having read “Step by Step to Achieving the Goal” and having nearly torn off one project because of my approach to business, I think: “Let me try, I have nothing to lose.”
Kaizen reception from my experience
Set the goal of "Write an article." I determined that I need to write 1000 characters a day (approximately ½ A4 sheet), left time for editing and reading. In total, I needed 4 days. I managed for two.
This strategy reminds me of the “ Eat an Elephant in Chunks ” method , but for some reason the book inspired me to use this approach ..
Starting small, we will achieve more than if we don’t do anything at all or wait for the New Year to make another promise workout.
Strategy number 4. Solve small problems.
Look around, find the little things that annoy you and deal with them. Otherwise, these little things will unite and an avalanche of the heavy consequences of ignoring small problems will cover you.
The author describes how Toyota introduced the kaizen method into its work. If the worker saw a marriage on the conveyor, he could pull the cord and the container stopped to fix the defect in the part. It would seem a trifle, and even an absurd one: it’s anyone who thinks it can affect the operation of the conveyor!
But this decision allowed Toyota to maintain a reputation as a manufacturer of high-quality cars. But competitors who neglected to correct trifles suffered losses.
Kaizen Reception
Remember your serious mistakes and consider if there were any warning signals. What could you do differently?
Think about your goal. What little mistake did you make today? Are there any little things that annoy you, but you have no time to eliminate them? How can you deal with them right now?
Strategy # 5. Hand out small rewards.
Encourage yourself by creating intrinsic motivation. Moreover, the award should be small, often symbolic. Psychologists believe that a high incentive inhibits self-improvement, forcing a person to work for a reward.
How can you reward yourself for success in achieving the goal?
Kaizen-reception
The award should be:
• adequate to the goal. If you walked a distance of 500 meters, do not have a grand celebration in your honor.
• adequate to humans. Consider the individual characteristics of the person you want to reward or reward. One pleases the simple “Thank you,” the other needs a more detailed compliment.
Strategy number 6. Identify small moments.
Be observant. Any little thing can be the primary source of a brilliant solution. For example, an engineer who was walking with his dog, drew attention to the sticking thistle and came up with Velcro.
Kaizen Reception
Show curiosity and be open to everything new. Talk to people who have a different point of view in order to understand why they hold such an opinion.
Kaizen in my interpretation
Incorrectly applying the kaizen method, you can be exposed to the following danger: you rely too much on small actions, and therefore do not begin to do something more global.
I use kaizen mainly for the mood to work (if it is not pleasant to me). I noticed - even just browsing sites on the desired topic several times a day, I’m already getting ready for the task. Thoughts, associations appear, the skeleton of the article is gradually being formed.
Then I make a plan. And then kaizen is powerless against my desire to solve everything by the method of innovation)) But I try to break the task into small stages and work on it systematically.
Now I am working on one large project, according to which I need to give out 5,000 characters daily, clean, without preliminary work. And if suddenly I couldn’t manage to make this volume, I still open the document and write as much as I can.
In my opinion, SmartProgress and the kaizen method work perfectly in the same team, and here's why:
1. The ability to keep a diary. It is easy to divide the achievement of the goal into the smallest stages and visually note the passage of each.
2. Each item of the plan while achieving the goal can be commented. And do not forget to please yourself with small rewards.
3. Small problems are easier to notice and eliminate, because your plan is before your eyes. And if you don’t know how to fix it, ask your friends.
4. Acting with like-minded people (if the goal is created in a group), you can notice interesting moments in achieving the goals of other people, for example, what resources they use and how you can apply them in your situation.
The kaizen method helps to overcome fear of a new, unpleasant or especially big task and tune in to its effective solution. Try it, you really have nothing to lose!