Building Improvement Muscle with a Kaizen DVD

Kaizen DVD training | Enna.com

“So your girlfriend rolls a Honda, playing workout tapes by Fonda.” I hope that Honda was built using Lean Manufacturing. Workout videos seem to have lost some of their appeal over the years, and many classics have become tired gags. What does any of this have to do with Lean Manufacturing and Kaizen? Kaizen training videos! Kaizen is often talked about as a method, but as with an exercise routine, the method is the easy part. It’s the discipline and determination you put into it that makes the difference between success and stagnation. Continuous Improvement is like a muscle that you have to work out, and a Kaizen DVD can act as the workout video.

Why do people watch workout videos over and over again? Surely they can memorize the routines. Surely the method alone is not the reason people follow along. It has to be something else, and that something is social. People need motivation, and if it’s not from a real life trainer, a video trainer can act as a substitute. It’s certainly a lot cheaper. Of course this doesn’t mean you can just watch your Kaizen DVD any more than you can just watch someone else work out and get results. Results come from effort, but effort has to start somewhere. For many it starts with the basics.

You can read textbook descriptions of Lean methods and still come away with a very limited understanding. Kaizen is about actions, so you must learn it by doing it. How do you learn to do something? You watch other people do it. It’s how babies learn, it’s how puppies learn, and it’s how top managers at Fortune 500 companies learn. It’s just human nature.

A personal trainer is ideal if you can afford it, but it is out of reach for many of us. That’s why training videos from any industry generally try to replicate this. The instructor in the video acts as a virtual coach for anyone watching the video. Whether you want to learn yoga, how to make cupcakes, or Total Productive Maintenance, there is probably a training video out there for you. When it comes to Lean management techniques, enna .com has a wide variety of DVD’s to choose from, covering the most effective Lean methodologies.

Remember that learning the methods is only half the battle. Real waste elimination and process improvement is about dedication and commitment, so follow that New Years resolution and get in shape!