Kaizen – slow, gradual change of an existing practice, system, or process.
Kaizen Event – a time set aside to make rapid changes of a targeted aspect of a system or process.
Kaikaku – complete upgrade or replacement of a system or process
“Out with the old, in with the new”
Using Kaikaku breaks existing paradigms (tradition) and throws out old ways of thinking (we’ve always done it that way). It is focused on achieving improvement like kaizen, but not gradually and slowly, but ramming the whole system with a wrecking ball.
Many companies use Hiroyuki Hirano's Ten Commanments of Kaikaku, but we will apply them to our personal lives (aka your business, remember you are the CEO of your own company).
They are:
- Throw out the traditional concept of what you are doing. (You want to change your results)
- Think of how the new method will work; not how it won't work.
- Don't accept excuses.
- Totally deny the status quo, be ready to start new.
- Don't seek perfection. A 50% implementation rate is fine as long as it is done on the spot. “Done is better than getting it perfect.”
- Correct mistakes the moment they are found.
- Don't spend money on Kaikaku.
- Problems give you a chance to use your brains.
- Ask “why” five times. (The 5 degrees or layers of why)
- Ideas from ten people are better than one person's knowledge.
*Sources: Reverscore.com, and Graphicproducts.com