Squiggly Careers Kaizen: The Japanese Method That Turns 1% Improvements into Career Growth
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Mar 31, 2026 They explain kaizen and why tiny, consistent improvements beat dramatic career overhauls. They explore gemba — observing real work — and how data reveals where time is wasted. They unpack muda and spotting busy work versus real progress. They cover hansai, the habit of reflection, and PDCA as a way to run small experiments that lead to lasting change.
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Go See The Job Before You Commit
- Observe reality directly (Gemba) before guessing about a role or change.
- Try shadowing, volunteering, or short projects to test a sector or company instead of deciding from imagination.
Use Data To Ground Career Feelings
- Use data to turn vague career feelings into actionable facts.
- Track metrics like meeting counts, travel days, or emails sent versus received to reveal where time and energy leak away.
Counting Recent Travel Revealed Burnout
- Sarah described reviewing Helen's recent six-week activity (travel, keynotes, days away) to realise burnout causes.
- That concrete review helped Helen conclude she was doing too much and needed to change.
