Episode
Kaizen: The Japanese Method That Turns 1% Improvements into Career Growth
- Podcast
- Squiggly Careers
- Published
- Mar 31, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2514
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
In this episode, Helen and Sarah explore how to 'Kaizen your squiggly career', borrowing brilliance from the Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement. They discuss why big career changes can feel overwhelming and how focusing on small, manageable improvements can help you build momentum without triggering fear or overthinking. Along the way, they introduce four key Kaizen ideas and translate them into simple, actionable tools for your working week. From spotting where you might be waiting rather than creating, to eliminating wasted effort, to building in better reflection habits, Helen and Sarah share how to move from intention to action in a way that actually sticks. If you’ve ever felt busy but not progressing, unsure where to focus your energy, or stuck in cycles of overthinking, this episode will help you take small steps that lead to meaningful change. 🦞 Learn Like A Lobster: 🇺🇸PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn 🇬🇧 Amazon UK - https://bit.ly/46lj8Av Episode 547 (00:00) Introducing Kaizen for careers (02:00) What Kaizen actually means (and why it works) (06:30) Gemba: why observation beats speculation (11:15) Muda: eliminating waste in your work (17:45) Are you busy… or actually productive? (22:10) The risks of “waiting” in your career (25:10) Hansai: the power of reflection (29:00) Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) explained (34:00) Why reflection is often overlooked (38:00) Standardising what works (41:00) Small changes that create big impact 📚 Resources Mentioned Kaizen: The Japanese Method for Transforming Habits by Sarah Harvey - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kaizen-Japanese-Method-Transforming-Habits/dp/1529005353#:~:text=Kaizen%20by%20Sarah%20Harvey%20brings,working%20style%2C%20preferences%20and%20personality. For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedbac…