I believe that management should focus on two particular areas. One is Gemba (shop floor) and the other is customer (not the shareholder).

I believe that management should focus on two particular areas. One is Gemba (shop floor) and the other is customer (not the shareholder).

I have a theory that among the large Western companies (mostly American) the higher an executive is promoted, the more wisdom is lost and by the time he or she reaches the top becomes a complete idiot. Certainly they do not deserve the outrageous salary.

To assure the prosperity of a firm should be a long-term strategy and the turnover of key managers should be taken into account from the stand point of long-term consideration and not from the monthly or quarterly flavors.

The Kaizen Philosophy assumes that our way of life - be it our working life, our social life, or our home life - deserves to be constantly improved.

Japanese management practices succeed simply because they are good management practices. This success has little to do with cultural factors. And the lack of cultural bias means that these practices can be - and are - just as successfully employed elsewhere.

You can't do kaizen just once or twice and expect immediate results. You have to be in it for the long haul.