What better effect on productivity: kaizen, or creative chaos

Imagine that you are a creative person who works for a comfortable needs a small, intimate, inspirational mess. To important records interspersed with beautiful otkrytochku from countries where you have spent an unforgettable vacation, or flyers from the nearest cafe and next to the monitor was necessarily your favorite dirty mug.

What to do, so you're a man. Perfect order brings to you the boredom and kills all desire to create, and to deal in the securities of your elementary once. Now imagine that you are suddenly put in the strict framework of outlandish Japanese system kaizen.

What is kaizen

Kaizen - the Japanese philosophy aimed at continuous improvement and change for the better. Kaizen - is that simple words can be called lean manufacturing. The desired object in the right place in the right quantity. The order sorting, accepted standards, maintenance and cleanliness.

Documents, materials, means of production - everything is stored, maintained order and systematized so that any employee can quickly find everything you need. In large companies, kaizen to the processes of production, and for office workers is reflected in the surrounding work environment.

This also applies to the working space on the system drive (standard file names), and stationery accessories (its place the paper or printer cartridges), and storage of documents (signed standard way folder).

Advantages of kaizen system

If we consider the kaizen at the company level, the system is useful and productive. Here is a simple example. I was fortunate to work in a large factory, where kaizen used to the maximum. For example, the proposal of one of the workers on the shipping pallet on four boxes over led to the fact that the competent distribution of products allowed to save appreciable amount of rent warehouse.

Or example of Kaizen office. Storage space for paper notes scale. If the amount of paper is reduced to a certain notch, it's time to think about ordering a new batch. This helps to foresee a situation where something not to be missed.

As for the personal space office worker, then you must always clean the table. All folders with the documents to be signed and given to uniformity.

In this case, you will know where and how much are office supplies. It is very comfortable.

Personal experience with Kaizen

For the first time I was faced with the philosophy of kaizen, where got a job in a Japanese company. In the office of every thing I had to stand in his place, marked with a green sticker. On my desk was a photograph, which were sealed standing on an empty desktop monitor, keyboard and mouse. It was signed: "It looks like my desktop at the end of the day."

All anything, but in this "sterile" I suddenly miss you. Being a creative person, I'm used to surround yourself with your favorite things. I needed "order in chaos": the case where the part of your table appears cluttered place, but you know exactly what and where is.

I thought the fact that workers belonging to decompose in its place, took a long time. And once in the soul deprived artist awakened protest. And now, a favorite mug, which is elementary once wash, Hidden in a drawer for personal items. And at the heart of this joyful rebellion.

Before that I worked as a designer in a small advertising agency. On my desktop, and flyers were movies and all sorts of funny pictures and saucer with peanuts, and even anti-stress ball, to which every week was put on a new suit, which we made from paper. And it was good.

But is it good? To find a really important piece of paper, it took about the same time as on the guidance of the ideal order. Distracted by things dragged along without a newspaper horoscope was commonplace, and it is also wasting time.

What is it that you should choose?

My solution was simple: the two approaches I have chosen the best of everything. Systematization and order, which are offered by kaizen, combined with his vision and favorite things.

The main rule - do not overdo it with any kaydzenom nor with the disorder.

In my closets, drawers and documents all laid out on a clear system. But on my desktop always have a corner set aside for inspiring things: paintings, flowers in pots and elephant from Thailand.

Do not be afraid to make an effort and disassemble the important things on the shelves. Once you have a little bit to get used to it, you will realize that it is very convenient. And for his mess allotted a separate area.

Kaizen is good until such time as the form does not begin to spend more time than the content. Creative mess is good until then, until it turns into a mess.

At the new job, I brought three things. Firstly, the mug. Secondly, the block with removable checkered leaves instead diary. Third, a flower in a pot, which I affectionately call himself George. In honor of George Harrison. For the rest - full kaizen.