Kaizen gets reduced to a buzzword in a lot of lean conversations — this episode goes back to what it actually means, where it came from, and what it takes to run one well.

AI-generated (NotebookLM) audio overview. Source: HexLocal in-house research — Episode Source — Kaizen Deep Dive (Dr. Priya Nair). Primary external sources include Masaaki Imai's foundational work on kaizen and the quality management contributions of W. Edwards Deming and Joseph Juran.

- Kaizen translates literally as "change for the better" — and that distinction from "continuous improvement" actually matters

- The philosophy and the practice are two different things, and most organizations only get one of them

- Daily kaizen and kaizen events serve different purposes — running only one is a common reason results don't stick

- PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) is the structural backbone of every kaizen improvement, from a 5-day blitz to a 5-minute fix

- The kaizen event has a defined shape: cross-functional team, focused scope, compressed timeline, and a real output by day five

- What separates a capable kaizen facilitator from someone who just knows the definition is covered in detail