One percent daily improvement

A husband and wife had just finished eating pancakes. To the wife’s surprise, her husband returned to the stove and made more pancakes. Confused, his wife asked, “Honey, we just ate. Why are you making pancakes?” “They’re for the dogs,” he replied.

“Why are you making pancakes for the dogs?” she asked. He replied: “Because they don’t know how.” The husband is not much of a talker, and the wife is undoubtedly frustrated with the stupid answer.

Today a lot of young workers are frustrated, lost, and confused, what with all the crazy and stupid things they are getting from social media sites on how to succeed, most of which are ineffective, unscientific, and just plain stupid. In other words, they don’t know how to grow and thrive, whether in their career, business, or craft.

In pursuing success, many are stuck, unable to make significant progress as they may have yet to use a powerful tool that can propel them forward, which is the concept of continuous improvement.

The Japanese have a term for this, and they call it “Kaizen.” It is almost unbelievable that I first shared ideas on Kaizen in the 90s as I started my training and speaking career. Now, decades later, this is still a proven technique. Kaizen proves to be a potent strategy for attaining our dreams.

Kaizen is often associated with Toyota, which brought it to prominence in its factories. But if you study it more carefully, this concept dates back to ancient Rome when the philosopher Seneca emphasized the importance of daily self-improvement.

Toyota’s transformation from a textile company to an auto manufacturer exemplifies the power of Kaizen. The company didn’t opt for a sudden, grand overhaul. Instead, it implemented gradual changes, day by day, week by week, until they achieved a remarkable transformation.

What Kaizen does is break monumental tasks into smaller, achievable steps. Today I call it “the power of tiny steps in personal development.”

Public speaking, training, and coaching have defined my life craft, and looking back over the many years of cumulative achievements, it is the discipline of daily tiny improvements I have applied in the work that has brought me to where I am today. But mind you, the effort does not stop. I still practice Kaizen every day of my life based on the belief that the most oversized room in the world is room for improvement.

Today we call it “pursuing excellence.” “Maximizing productivity” applies the Kaizen and tiny improvements approach in our work and life.

To apply the Kaizen approach in your life:

1. Start by focusing on achieving just a one percent improvement in an area of your business or personal life. Identify what that one percent progress would entail—sometimes, it might be as simple as taking the first step or completing a small fraction of a larger goal. One of the more recent daily posts under my #PassionPurposeProductivity on FB, LinkedIn and IG that got a lot of positive responses goes this way:

“If you want to get things done, achieve wins, and succeed, here is a tip: You will never win if you do not begin. But when you do, and even if you do not achieve the goal you wanted, you are in motion, learning stuff and becoming better the next time. Then you get to the stage and discover two things: A. You achieve your goals. And B. To your delight, you achieve many other things outside your goals. So, begin!”

2. Once you’ve accomplished this initial milestone, move on to the next one percent improvement. Consistency is key. Concentrate on the present rather than fixating on distant objectives. Focusing on the task and the immediate steps ahead makes the effort smoother and more effective. Kaizen is not about reaching a final destination; it’s a perpetual journey of self-improvement and growth. No matter how seemingly insignificant, each small step brings us closer to greatness and success.

The enemy of improvement is the often-quoted phrase in Filipino, “Puwede na yan: which is translated into English as “It’s good enough.” Well, as I repeatedly say in my training programs, “Good enough no longer is today in a highly competitive business environment.” Robert Collier says, “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” While Jimmy Johnson says, “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” This concept will still endure and be proven effective for the next thirty or forty years. Good to embrace this as a lifestyle.

(Francis Kong’s podcast “Inspiring Excellence” is now available on Spotify, Apple, Google, or other podcast streaming platforms.)