Continuous Improvement or Kaizen? In our quest for personal and professional growth, we often seek inspiration from various sources, one of which is the concept of Kaizen. This Japanese philosophy emphasizes continuous improvement, resonating deeply with the historical significance of Roman consular roads. This piece delves into the commonalities between these seemingly disparate concepts, exploring their shared essence in guiding us toward progress.
Understanding Kaizen and Roman Roads
What do Kaizen and Roman consular roads have in common? Many of us, hearing the word Kaizen or the term Continuous Improvement, automatically think of a set of methods (or ‘tools’ in English). But then, what do methods have to do with ancient Roman roads?
To answer this, we just need to know the root vi- and its Indo-European origin, whose literal meaning is “to pursue, to follow a track”. The journey of vi- leads us to the Latin ‘via’ (journey), ‘ob via’ (obvious, in front of the way), to the English ‘way’ and the German ‘weg’, and to the etymology of Road (strata vi lapidibus).
The Importance of Goals and Destinations
But like all journeys (especially that of improvement), and like all the roads we decide to travel, it is essential to have a goal and a destination, so as not to make our journey an end in itself, without value. Moreover, the word ‘method’, with which we often identify our standards, in Greek has the same meaning as ‘way’: ‘meta’ (after, beyond) + ‘hodos’ (path, way).
Conclusions about Continuous Improvement
This exploration into the concept of Kaizen and the historical significance of Roman roads reminds us of the profound connection between our modern pursuit of continuous improvement and the ancient paths of progress. By understanding the deep-rooted meanings and origins of the words we use to describe our journey toward excellence, we can better navigate our professional and personal lives with a clear destination in mind. This insight, drawn from the podcast “Lo zaino delle Parole” by Luca Manzi, encourages us to reflect on the profound impact of our words and actions in the continual process of improvement.”
Andrea Manti is CBDO at Lean Community. He has over 15 years of experience in Lean Management. He is an expert in Lean and Quality Management and has held positions working as a Process Engineer, Customer Quality representative, Quality System Manager (IATF standard), and Continuous Improvement Senior Manager. During his career, Andrea has led the implementation of several Lean/6Sigma projects, TPM workshops, and TWI activities. He is also an expert in the World Class Manufacturing (WCM) program
