KAIKAKU: Ups & Downs

Synopsis: To change, you have to leave your comfort zone. This is a very uncomfortable thought and an even more uncomfortable road to travel. Both the thought and the journey can cause long-lasting pain if procrastination takes the place of immediate action. Kaikaku (Japanese for 'radical change') is like slapping the face of someone who has fainted: they may have lost consciousness, but the sudden forceful impact can bring them back from a horrendous nightmare. In this book, the author describes how kaikaku is best applied to businesses, how crises can be prevented, and what to do if you have just dealt with a crisis and do not want to get into a new one anytime soon. True stories are used to illustrate the main topics of kaikaku and give an insight into proven problem-solving methods. Some of them might not be entirely legal in all countries, but a slap on the wrist and a 'don't do it again' might be all you get if you're caught out. Lean management is all about avoiding waste, so this book is concise and to the point - it avoids verbal diarrhoea so that the reader does not have to sift through the rubbish to get to the good stuff.

Robert F. Carter has a college degree from Zurich University in economics, business administration and industrial psychology. After almost a quarter of a century as general manager of a variety of industrial production companies in Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, Malaysia, Vietnam and Mexico, he set up shop as a freelance business consultant and one-to-one executive coach when he turned 50. Robert met Marianna 30 years ago (parallels to Robin Hood and Lady Marian are coincidental but accurate). Soon thereafter marriage was proposed and accepted. They are both proud of their two sons, Daniel and Benjamin. Robert's company, Coaching for ReThink GmbH, registered in Roggwil, Switzerland, aims to live up to its name by inducing, rekindling and encouraging new thought processes in its clients. At Coaching for ReThink we do not believe in the old adage that 'a rolling stone gathers no moss', but instead believe that 'if you rest, you rust'. Henry Ford said, 'Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it'; having validated this through experience, here is what Coaching for ReThink stands for: Coaching for ReThink's credo: 'We believe that nobody can be held responsible for the gender, country or colour of skin they were born into. We believe instead that everyone can be held responsible for the beliefs they nurture.' Coaching for ReThink's vision: 'We want people striving to simplify processes to achieve Flow©.' Coaching for ReThink's mission: 'Our mission is to steadily progress towards our vision - an undertaking akin to the intersecting of parallel lines! But then: the journey is the reward.''