Quotes van Masaaki Imai

Masaaki Imai heeft vaak mooie inzichten, zoals op een filmpje te zien was die ik op een eerdere blog plaatste. Onlangs kwam ik een leuke blog tegen waar onder andere tien quotes van Imaai geplaatst waren. Klik hier voor het hele bericht waar dat in stond. De quotes zijn:

• Don’t wait for the perfect solution. This reminds me to let go of the illusion that I can make everything flawless. If I seek perfection, I’ll feel overwhelmed. Better to do what’s actually possible to bring about positive change right here, right now. Said Mr. Imai, “Seek improvements right away, even if you’re only 50 percent on target.”
• Ask “why” five times. This helps get to the root cause of problems, Mr. Imai said. And, of course, I’m thinking, “Five times? That’s a lot of thinking!” But such persistence and commitment could allow me to see things as they really are. Am I really ready for such clarity on the job? Are my co-workers? What about our bosses? “Wisdom comes from facing hardship,” said Mr. Imai.
• When you solve one problem, you will see ten more. And this is a good thing because….? Oh, right. Because it might actually help me find more solutions!
• Use Lean to go green. “Because Lean uses less space, less equipment, fewer people, and less time to produce maximum output, it’s a way to be nice to the good old earth,” said Mr. Imai. It may also lead to kindness for my good old staff. “If you don’t want to work weekends and holidays to meet your goals, do Kaizen,” he said. Many Americans don’t appreciate this, he added. They believe we need more money, more time, more resources, and more staff to solve our problems. “If you have no money, use your brain,” said Mr. Imai. “And if you have no brain, sweat it out!”
• Be present with your co-workers and staff. The Leanophiles say, “Go to the Gemba,”—a Japanese word that means “the real place.” “The most sacred place in management is the Gemba,” said Mr. Imai. “This is where value is created.” In fact, Japanese police detectives call the crime scene a “Gemba.” Mr. Imai asked, “Did you ever see Colombo sitting at his desk waiting for a report?” Of course not. He needed to see the reality of the work before him with his own eyes.
• Practice Lean every day. “Kaizen is everyday improvement, everybody improvement, everywhere improvement,” Mr. Imai said. Everything in the Gemba deteriorates if you don’t pay attention, he added. Even sustaining the current status requires effort. But if you pay attention daily, your efforts naturally become part of long-term improvement.
• “Seek the wisdom of ten people rather than the knowledge of one.” That was one of my favorite quotes. I suppose everybody who accepts Lean management finds their own reason to value it. And maybe if we share our perspectives with each other, we’ll all become a little wiser.