Japanese Way of Getting Better and Increasing Productivity…..
My recent studies on Japanese culture and work made me write this article about how Japanese people are much more productive than the rest of us. Whether we are talking about their diet or their houses, nothing is like it is anywhere else in the world. I’ll list a few powerful productivity tips that one should learn from the Japanese people.
Attention To Detail — Here the word ‘Detail’ means everything, it’s not hard to notice just how much the Japanese care about details, they just don’t let a single thing skip their mind while observing something or doing something, ‘Care’ is the best word to describe it. Japanese people care about little things the same way they do about the major things. “It’s not that important” is not the attitude they have. In their business, everything matters.
The Food is just a Fuel to keep the body going — There is a Japanese Kotowaza, or proverb, that says, “He who has his stomach full only 80 percent will not need a doctor.” Dinner in Japan isn’t served, it’s presented. Guests visiting Japanese houses are often surprised to find five or six dishes in front of them for dinner. Miso soup and a rice are a given. Then two or three different vegetables are served on the side, plus fish and meat.
Warm Baths, a Ritual — Health should never be overlooked when discussing productivity. Some people don’t do well just because they don’t feel well. In Japan there is a culture of taking bath every night before going to sleep, everyone does that like a routine thing, considering how hard our body works for us, relaxing in a nice warm bath is the perfect way to end the day. Various studies have been conducted and the results are known to everyone that a chronic lack of sleep or getting poor quality of sleep increases the risk of disorders, including high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, depression and obesity.
Kaizen — Kaizen is not just a word for the Japanese, it is the way of life there. Kaizen means ‘Constant Improvement’. It’s the reason Japanese car manufacturers were able to dominate the industry for years. Even as small as 1 percent improvement is a great achievement, it might not seem like much but over time the change can be dramatic. Akio Toyoda-CEO of Toyota says “I do the same thing over and over, improving bit by bit. There is always a yearning to achieve more. I’ll continue to climb, trying to reach the top; but no one knows where the top is.”
Tidying up, cleaning — Trying to stay away from the mess is one of the key things Japanese follow. Many companies are notorious for keeping many unnecessary items in the offices like training material that is outdated and files of clients from years ago are pilled high in many offices but not like Panasonic, Komatsu, Takeda. Japanese companies believe that freeing up space is liberating and once done can provide a big boost in productivity. Even if we look at lives of individuals, Tidying up is a thumb rule. In cities such as Tokyo and Osaka, it’s not uncommon for people to have apartments of 20 sq. meters or smaller and it is impossible to live at such a place unless you follow above.
