Which is the best for productivity: kaizen versus creative mess

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Whether you love clutter or prefer a clean workplace, it doesn't matter. Each of these methods has its own pros and cons.

Imagine that you are a creative person who needs your own small, cozy, inspiring mess to work comfortably. So that important notes are interspersed with beautiful postcards from the countries where you spent an unforgettable vacation, or flyers from the nearest cafe, and your favorite dirty mug always stood next to the monitor.

What can you do, you are such a person. Perfect order makes you bored and kills all the desire to create, and you simply have no time to sort out the papers. Now imagine that you are suddenly put into the strict framework of the outlandish Japanese kaizen system.

What is Kaizen

Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy aimed at continuous improvement and change for the better. Kaizen is what you can call Lean Manufacturing in simple terms. The right object in the right place in the right quantity. Order, sorting, accepted standards, maintenance and cleanliness.

Documents, materials, means of production - all this is stored, maintained in order and systematized in such a way that any employee can quickly find everything he needs. In large companies, kaizen is about production processes, but for office workers it is reflected in their environment.

This also applies to the workspace on system disks (standard file names), and office supplies (your place for paper or printer cartridges), and document storage (folders signed in a standard way).

Advantages of the kaizen system

If we consider kaizen at the company level, then this system turns out to be useful and productive. Let me give you a simple example. I was fortunate enough to work in a large factory where kaizen was used to its fullest. For example, the proposal of one of the employees to load four more boxes on pallets led to the fact that the competent distribution of products made it possible to save a significant amount for renting a warehouse.

Or an example of using kaizen in the office. The storage space for the paper is marked with a scale. If the amount of paper decreases to a certain mark, then it's time to think about ordering a new batch. This helps to anticipate a situation in advance when something will be missing.

As for the personal space of an office worker, you should always have a clean desk. All document folders must be signed and brought to consistency.

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

Personal experience of using kaizen

I first encountered the kaizen philosophy when I got a job in a Japanese company. In the office, each thing had to stand in its place, marked with a green sticker. On my desk was a photograph of a monitor, keyboard, and mouse sitting on an empty desk. And the caption: "This is what my desktop looks like at the end of the day."

Everything would be fine, but in this "sterility" I suddenly began to miss myself. Being a creative person, I used to surround myself with the things I love. I needed "order in disorder": the case when from the outside your table seems to be a cluttered place, but you know exactly what and where.

It seemed to me that it took a long time to put the work accessories in their places. And one day a protest awoke in the soul of the deprived artist. And now the beloved mug, which simply has no time to wash, is hidden in a drawer for personal belongings. And my soul is happy with such a riot.

Before that I worked as a designer in a small advertising agency. On my desk were movie flyers, all sorts of funny pictures, and a bowl of nuts, and even an anti-stress ball, on which we put on a new costume every week, which we made out of paper. And that was good.

But is it so good? It took about the same amount of time to find a really important piece of paper as it did to put things in perfect order. To be distracted by a newspaper with a horoscope lying idle was a common thing, and it also took time.

What should you choose after all?

My decision was simple: out of two approaches, I chose the best. The systematization and order that kaizen offers, combined with her vision and favorite things.

The main rule is not to overdo it with either kaizen or disorder.

In my closets, drawers and documents, everything is laid out according to a clear system. But on my desk, there is always a corner set aside for inspirational things: drawings, a flower in a pot, and an elephant from Thailand.

Do not be afraid to make an effort on yourself and sort out important things on the shelves. Once you get used to it a little bit, you will understand that it is very convenient. And set aside a separate corner for your mess.

Kaizen is good as long as you don’t spend more time on form than on content. Creative clutter is good as long as it doesn't just turn into clutter.

I brought three things to my new workplace. First, a mug. Secondly, a block with removable checkered leaves instead of a diary. Thirdly, a flower in a pot, which I myself lovingly call George. In honor of George Harrison. In all other respects - complete kaizen.