5 Ways To Make Perpetual Progress By Creating A Kaizen-Focused Career

Are you content with coasting in your career and satisfied with your “good enough” results?

Or do you maintain a mindset of continuous and never-ending improvement (CANI)?

Those who subscribe to the latter are followers of the Japanese business philosophy known as Kaizen. Derived from “kai,” meaning change, and “zen,” meaning makes good or better, it’s the notion that nothing is ever finished or declared perfect; there is always room for improvement or refinement. It also recognizes the role consistency plays in betterment, with small, ongoing positive changes having significant impacts over time.

Typically used by companies, Kaizen’s key objectives include quality control, just-in-time delivery, standardized work, efficient equipment use, and the elimination of waste. In addition, the philosophy encourages and empowers all employees to identify areas of potential improvement and create viable solutions.

But Kaizen is also useful when you apply its principles to your career.

Here are five ways to adopt a continuous and never-ending improvement mindset to make perpetual professional progress:

1. Get clarity on your goals

You’ll forever spin your wheels if you’re unclear on what you want. That inefficiency is very unKaizen-like, so instead, identify and double down on what matters most to you so you can direct your energy on those activities that align with your goals. Over time, this focus adds up to significant progress.

2. Regularly ask for—and be open to—feedback

Some shy away from seeking feedback because they fear being critiqued. But feedback is simply data you can use to improve. Those who follow Kaizen understand the importance of regularly soliciting information and opinions from multiple people and then using it to iterate and adapt. Perfection isn’t the goal; betterment is.

3. Learn from your mistakes

Kaizen devotees know that making a mistake isn’t a failure; it’s an opportunity to get closer to finding a solution by understanding what doesn’t work. Viewed through this lens, failure is seen as necessary for progress. Plus, it helps you become more proactive about solving problems when you’re continuously trying, testing, and modifying your approach.

4. Use your curiosity to go deeper

One of Kaizen’s principal tenets is to let go of assumptions. Instead of accepting something at face value, those with a Kaizen mindset use their curiosity to go deeper, asking “why” at least five times to get to the root cause of an issue. This leads to greater understanding and highlights any previously hidden information you can use to improve.

5. Consistently take on new challenges

The only way to get better is never to become complacent. Followers of Kaizen don’t settle for the good of the status quo; they consistently go for greatness by taking on new challenges and assignments that help them grow. When you step out of your comfort zone, you enter the land of learning and improvement. And by intentionally and regularly placing yourself in that environment, you’ll continue on a path of professional betterment your entire career.

By adopting a continuous and never-ending improvement mindset, you’ll perpetually make professional progress.

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