Kaizen really only finds success when people from all levels are included in decision making and problem solving. This can be done through managers taking Gemba walks, forming Quality Circles, or educating employees on the Kaizen philosophy. It’s important that workers feel comfortable enough to make suggestions to managers. Often times workers can identify areas of improvement and make helpful suggestions on how to address it.
If you are currently practicing Kaizen or have in the passed, please share how you were able to include workers or how your experience was!