I was born in Ravenna, Ohio, in November of 1957. When I was two years old, our family moved to Yokohama, Japan. My father was stationed at Tachikawa Airfield. My mother went to work on base as an executive assistant to the colonel in command. She hired a nanny to look after me. Her name was Yoshkosan. She loved me unconditionally and affirmed that I was meant to do something special in my life. She would speak to me in Japanese and I would reply in a blend of English and Japanese words and phrases. Because of her, I have had a lifelong love of all things Japanese: the culture, the language, the people. Certain words have stayed with me like green tea infused into boiling water.
Kaizen is a Japanese term meaning "change for the better" or "continuous improvement.” It is a Japanese business philosophy regarding the processes that continuously improve operations and involve all employees. Kaizen sees improvement in productivity as a gradual and methodical process. The foundation of the Kaizen method consists of five founding elements: