Archive for the ‘Productivity’ Category
Kaizen | A Business Model or a Way of Life?
“I would tell young people to start where they are with what they have and that the secret of a big success is starting with a small success and dreaming bigger and bigger dreams…” – John Johnson
Kaizen is a Japanese word that is literally translated as “improvement” – nothing more, nothing less. However, given the common practice in Japan of labeling industrial or business improvement techniques with the simple word, “kaizen” has taken on a whole new meaning to the English-speaking world.
Essentially, kaizen has become descriptive of a business philosophy in which the model is to focus daily on small, incremental improvements in every facet of a business. Every individual, from the head of the organization to the worker bee, is responsible for their own kaizen. Over time, these incremental changes not only add up individually, but collectively they lead to compounding and exponential results in improvement.
While this is a great model for business (as has proved to be the case over and over again in Japan), I think it’s an even better framework that you can use to dramatically improve your life… Read the rest of this entry »
Effective Note Taking
“I admit that Post-it note sheets that adhere to virtually any surface are now my substitute of choice for retention.” -Candice Bergen
I like to read, I read a lot, and I read EVERYTHING. Books, newspapers, magazines, blog posts, cereal boxes – you name it, I read it. When I don’t have a book or magazine handy (which is rare), I read internet articles on my phone. I even read the apartment guides and tray liners at McDonald’s when nothing else is handy.
I really enjoy reading – I use it as a tool to learn and a tool to escape. But over the last few years, my all-out assault on the written word has taken it’s toll. I have been struggling to retain what I read. To be honest, with all the material I bombard my sponge with it’s amazing that ANYTHING sticks. So, it’s not surprising that I began seeking changes. Read the rest of this entry »
