The Spirit of Kaizen: Creating Lasting Excellence One Small Step at a Time

Discover the power of KAIZEN to make lasting and powerful change in your organization

“Maurer uses his knowledge of the brain and human psychology to show what I have promoted for the past three decades―that continuous improvement is built on the foundation of people courageously using their creativity. Kaizen is much more than a world-class management practice; it is a technique to remove fear from our mind’s mind, enabling us to take small steps to better things. The process of change starts with awareness and desire in our minds and then leads to action and change in the physical world. Readers of this book will surely fi nd new ideas and encouragement to make improvements in personal health, performance at work, and their own well-being.”
―Masaaki Imai, Chariman, Kaizen Institute

KAIZEN: The Small-Step Step Solution for You and Your Company

Today’s businesses love the idea of revolutionary, immediate change. But major “disruptive” efforts often fail because radical change sets off alarms in our brains and shuts down our power to think clearly and creatively.

There is, however, a more effective path to change. Change that is lasting and powerful. Change that begins with one small step . . .

It’s The Spirit of Kaizen―a proven system for implementing small, incremental steps that can have a big impact in reaching your goals. This step-by-step guide from renowned psychologist and consultant Dr. Robert Maurer shows you how to:

• Lower costs―by offering little rewards
• Raise quality―by reducing mistakes
• Manage difficult people― one step at a time
• Boost morale and productivity― in five minutes a day
• Implement big ideas―through small but steady actions
• Sell more―in less time

Filled with practical tips and ready-to-use tools for managers, innovators, and entrepreneurs, The Spirit of Kaizen is the essential handbook for a changing world. You’ll learn how to think outside the suggestion box, remove mental blindfolds, manage stress with one-minute exercises, and handle rising health-care costs. You’ll discover the “small step” secrets for dealing with all kinds of people, from tough bosses and listless workers to stubborn clients and fussy customers.

These simple but powerful techniques can be applied to almost any workplace situation, especially when you’re trying to navigate the stormy waters of radical change, high-pressure deadlines, and cutthroat competition. These are the same methods of small, continual improvement that have been tested by the largest companies, such as Boeing, Toyota, and the U.S. Navy―methods that will work for you, too.

No matter how big the obstacle or how big the dream, The Spirit of Kaizen has a small-step solution to help you succeed.

Robert Maurer, Ph.D., is on the faculty of the UCLA and University of Washington Schools of Medicine. He is also the Director of Science of Excellence, a consulting firm that translates evidence-based psychology into practical strategies for success.