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Shibumi Strategy Summary
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BOOK SUMMARY
Nope, it’s not the Japanese version of the Sham-Wow, although I’d pay good money to see that infomercial. Although there is no word in the English language that can describe what Shibumi is, we experience it as...
hibumi!S
Nope, it’s not the Japanese version of the Sham-Wow, although I’d pay
good money to see that infomercial. Although there is no word in the
English language that can describe what Shibumi is, we experience it
as...
Shibumi!elegant simplicity, effortless effectiveness and beautiful imperfection.
It’s the moments in life where everything everything seems to fit
together perfectly, without the herculean effort we are used to providing
to produce these experiences.
It’s the moments in life where
everything seems to fit together
perfectly, without the herculean
effort we are used to
providing to
produce these
experiences.
sp
ff ff
f
For most of us,
Shibumi seems to be an elusive thing –
seemingly reserved for “other” people.But as Matthew May brilliantly portrays in his business fable
The Shibumi Strategy
there truly is a process we can all follow to find those moments on a
daily basis. By practicing this process, we can all walk the path
in pursuit of Shibumi.
Loosely translated, Kaizen means continuous improvement. Kai means change, and zen means “for the better”. If you work in a manufacturing environment, it’s likely you’ve bumped into this word once or twice. It’s a powerful principle, because it doesn’t view positive change as an event that has a starting point and an end point. Rather, it takes the view that change is a never ending process of small and steady steps rather than big leaps. With Shibumi comes great change. And despite what we might think or say about the topic, we all resist change. But if we make small, almost imperceptible changes over time, the results can often be dramatic. For instance, if you wanted to be 16 pounds lighter at this time next year, all you would need to do is stop drinking the equivalent of one can of Coca-Cola a day. The great thing with small continuous changes is that we aren’t hardwired to resist them.
kaizen
The smaller the change, the smaller
the fear.
At its core, Kaizen is made up of three simple steps:
1 2 3
Create a standard
FIND A BETTERway
Numbers 1 and 2 are the
parts where you simply need
to get yourself into motion.
This is easier said than
done most days, but as long as
the first standard you create is
something you can do without
changing your habits in a
hugely significant way, you’ll
be fine.
FOLLOW IT
It’s your ability to find a better way throughout the
process that will determine how quickly your
breakthroughs come.
In order to find your breakthroughs using the Kaizen process, use IDEA — a continuous and iterative loop that will help you solve the problem of finding a better way.
investi
DESIGNcution
adjustgation
ment
exe
Using a period of reflection, gather the facts necessary to fully assess
the situation. Make sure to include a clear definition of what you
are trying to achieve. The principle that we will use in this stage is
Genchi Genbutsu, which means go, look and see. This principle
was made famous by Toyota, and the creator of the Toyota
Production System, Taichi Ohno. When a new graduate
was launched out of that system, he would take the
graduate and then draw a chalk circle on the floor in front of
an operation on the shop floor. His only advice to them would
be to watch and observe, and to keep asking “why”. Usually,
he’d come back after a period of time, ask them a question,
and then have them watch even further. Sometimes
the graduate would stand in that
circle all day.
investigation1
His point? The only w a y t o o b s e r v e something so that you could improve upon it is to get intimately familiar with the it. When you do, you start to see problems, gapsand opportunities that would completely escape you if you tried to come up with a solution off the cuff.
Another famous institution to train it’s employees in the power of observation is the
New York Police Department. In fact, they have been doing this since the 1920’s. In a
simple but elegant test, they show the recruits a sketch of a scene where a car has
crashed. They are told to remember as many of the details as possible, and three
minutes later are given a test about how well they are able to discern and
remember the relevant facts. Although you may never
work at Toyota or for the NYPD, here is the 3 step
process to get your observational skills
up to snuff:
Describe: record the
details of the situation
in as much detail as
you can. Do not
interpret or judge
anything at this point.
Inquire: start asking
the who, what, when,
where and why of the
situation. Again, make
detailed notes.
Conclude: using the
notes you’ve created,
start to make some
conclusions and
frame the
question or
opportunity so
that you are
ready to move
to the design
stage.
G E T
W I T H T H E
SHIBUMI
KISS ME I’M
IRISH
The design stage is where you get to your
potential solutions.
Although entire books
have been written on design thinking, you
essential ly want to
come into this portion of the process with an
uncluttered mind. The
old cliche that “when you are a hammer
everything looks like a
nail” holds true here.
Your goal is to look at the problem with a
fresh set of eyes. So,
understanding your ideal state (the solution
you want to get to), use
the following seven shibumi principles to
start creating solutions.
DESIGN2
NAILED
IT.
what isn’t there can often trump what is. People love symmetry and balance. So much so that when it isn’t there, they will supply it themselves. People are seduced by a solution that is out of balance because it allows them to participate in the solution.
FUKINSEI
limiting information creates intrigue and engagement. Be subtle and leave things open to interpretation.
YUGEN
the simplest rules create the most effective order. This is the highest order of elegance, like Einstein’s E=mc2. Finding the simplest solution to your problem is not easiest thing to do, but it is the most effective.
KANSOsubtraction and restraint promote open innovation. Subtract all but the essential elements of your solution. Think like the designers at Apple Computers – less is more.
KOKO
constraints are a natural source of sustainable innovation. Use the tools at your disposal for the solution. Having less at your disposal will often create a better solution.
SHIZEN
don’t something isn’t always better than doing nothing. Sometimes it’s the pauses in the music, or the piece missing from a piece of art that make it a masterpiece.
SEIJAKU
“break” is an important part of any breakthrough. Some of your best ideas will come when you step away from the problem. Also, switch things up every once in awhile, even if it means taking a new route home from work.
DATSUZOKU
In this step, we will use the principle of Hoshin to create a strategic framework for
implementing the solution. Hoshin means to aim, direct, or plan. It’s like
the compass pointing towards true north – it ensures that
everybody is working towards the same goal. But it is also
about generating the required actions in order to get
there. The following is a framework you can use to
ensure that your solution gets implemented. Simply
create list of items with the following columns:
EXECUTION3
★ Direction or goal★ Key initiative★ Key activity★ Key targets★ Key measure★ Assignment★ Timing★ Budget
Keep track of all of these things and you’ll be well on your way to making sure that everything you need to get done, gets done.
ADJUSTMENT4
Of course, this is a never-ending process and you need to check in to see how things are progressing. And because one of the principles to guide us is kaizen, we are continuously looking for areas to improve in. Here’s how.
There are many ways to do this, one of the easiest and most effective ways was developed by the US Army. They called it the “After Action Review”, and
which means reflection and introspection.
hanseiDuring this phase, we will be using the principle of
it became such an important part of their process that they now use it to review almost everything they do.
The process consists of 3 questions, which again displays the principle of Kanso. It is truly an elegant solution for the process of reviewing progress. Here are the questions...
“Olly olly oxen free!”
1WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN?
It is almost a certainty that no matter how carefully you planned in the Hoshin stage, there will be gaps in what you planned to have happen, and what actually happened.
WHAT ACTUALLY
HAPPENED?
2
WHY???!!!3
For more information, about this book and our other great book
summaries, please visit:
www.readitfor.me
So there you have it. A simple summary for a simple and elegant book. But don’t be fooled by the relative short nature of the book – there’s a lot to it, and it will take plenty of p ra c t i c e m a s te r. Good luck, young grasshopper.