As Frank Butz passionately reminds us, Kaizen is about people. Yes, its immediate focus is on improving work processes and business results. And yes, its method makes a unique contribution to accomplishing this purpose. But the energy, heart, and lasting benefit of Kaizen are in enabling people to emerge as productive achievers.

There are three steps people must take to emerge as productive achievers. First, they must find the one endeavor in life they are truly passionate about. Second, they must devote themselves fully to realizing the highest level of achievement to which they are capable. Third, they must think about each execution of that endeavor and extract from it learning for further improving their success.

Kaizen enables these activities by providing a framework that supports people's initial success and their continuous learning. The Kaizen process described in the Kaizen Desk Reference Standard is a proven producer of value. Built into it are activities that guide learning and enable continuing development as a Kaizen leader. If Kaizen excites you, as we hope it will, it can be the vehicle by which you dedicate yourself to excellence and grow in your power and capability to produce benefit.

Kaizen makes two demands. First, it requires that you commit yourself to bettering others as well as yourself because only then will you effectively engage a team of workers in improving their workplace. And only when you can think beyond yourself will you recognize all the issues that affect the production of successful and lasting improvements. Second, Kaizen demands that you risk failure. Only when you are willing to fail in the pursuit of excellence will you challenge—and work to improve—the status quo.

If you can satisfy these requirements, mastering and applying Kaizen can be your springboard to broader personal success. Once you have taken performance in any domain to its highest level, you can use the learning and proficiencies you develop as a basis for transferring your success to any other arena of human activity.