How Personal Growth Plans Support Continuous Improvement

The Harada Method and the Power of Self-Reliance

Continuous improvement does not start with tools.

It starts with people.

In this webinar, Norman Bodek joins Mark Graban of KaiNexus to explore how personal growth plans drive organizational excellence. Drawing on decades of experience studying Japanese management practices — including the Harada Method — Norman explains why self-reliance and personal goal setting are foundational to sustainable improvement.

If you want stronger engagement, deeper ownership, and a more innovative culture, this session challenges you to start with individual development.

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What You Will Learn

• Why self-reliance is the foundation of continuous improvement
• How personal development fuels organizational performance
• The 5 core components of the Harada Method
• Why setting a bold personal goal changes behavior
• How identifying 64 tasks builds discipline and focus
• The role of coaching in developing capability
• Why fear-based management stifles innovation
• How Japanese companies build trust and autonomy
• The connection between personal excellence and Lean culture

Why This Matters

Many organizations focus on tools — A3 thinking, Kaizen events, strategy deployment — but struggle to sustain improvement.

Why?

Because culture depends on people who are confident, capable, and committed to growth.

This webinar explores:

• The 8th waste: underutilized human potential
• How personal goal-setting builds internal motivation
• Why managers should coach instead of command
• How trust and autonomy increase innovation
• What it means to truly develop people

When individuals grow, organizations improve.

Real-World Examples

Norman shares powerful stories, including:

• Rural villages in India transformed through self-reliance
• The Harada Method applied in Japanese schools
• Shohei Ohtani’s personal development planning process
• Mirai Industries — a Japanese company that empowers employees through trust

These examples illustrate how individual development connects directly to performance, engagement, and innovation.

Who Should Attend

• Lean leaders and improvement professionals
• Healthcare and government executives
• HR and organizational development leaders
• Coaches and mentors
• Anyone interested in connecting personal growth to performance

About the Presenter

Norman Bodek is widely recognized for introducing many foundational Japanese management ideas to the Western world.

He has published translations of works by Taiichi Ohno and Shigeo Shingo and authored numerous books, including The Idea Generator, Quick and Easy Kaizen, and The Harada Method.

Norman has spent decades helping organizations understand how developing people leads to operational excellence.

Watch the Webinar

Register now to learn how personal growth plans and self-reliance can strengthen your culture of continuous improvement.