Alongside reflection on the past, the New Year often prompts planning for individual behaviour change, a practice that started over 4000 years ago in ancient Babylonia!  It is a bit of a running joke that these resolutions as we call them in the UK will be quickly broken. There are many reasons for this; January isn’t the best month in northern climates, we have a tendency to set overly ambitious and unrealistic goals, and unforeseen challenges often emerge.  A better approach may be to make small continuous improvements and changes, something I have learnt from my martial arts practice.

I think a useful model to apply to ourselves comes from the Japanese business philosophy approach of ‘Kaizen’, a word that translates to ‘change for the better’ or ‘continuous improvement’.

So how does this relate to a more global perspective?  The challenges we face in this sector can seem daunting, enormous, and sometimes impossible to comprehend.  We need systemic changes that often start with a change in individual behaviour. In an organisation Kaizen involves all employees, and is based on the idea that small, ongoing positive changes can lead to significant improvements.

By fostering a culture of continuous improvement and employee engagement, Kaizen can help enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of initiatives, ultimately supporting sustainable growth and long-term success. This approach involves the systematic and continuous analysis and improvement of processes and operations to achieve better results, eliminating inefficiencies, reducing waste, and encouraging employee engagement at all levels of the organization.  With a systematic and sustained program of incremental improvements, often through events or projects and creating a culture of continuous improvement, Kaizen involves everyone.

I think we can apply this to ourselves, and our work. By making even the smallest of improvements each day, not just in the workplace but in our own lives, then perhaps we can progress with the steps we need to tackle the global, and personal, challenges we face.

Read more about Kaizen and Green Practices, or Sustainability and Kaizen, or Kaizen as an Approach to Digital Transformation.

Find out more about IMA's Year of Behaviour Change.