Definition

‘Improvement’ and ‘Evolution’ are two things that are expected in any form of business or entrepreneurial effort. Methodologies that have been used to denote it have been called  many names- Kaizen, TQM, Lean etc. However for decades, they’ve been implemented with resistance and often, outright rejection. Often the tools and people are blamed for the failures, without the correct reason ever being recognized.

Hansei as a practice, brings ‘Self Introspection’, ‘Self Reflection’ and ‘Self Improvement’ into the mix. It’s a process that constantly engages people in improvement. ‘Han’ means to change, and ‘Sei’ means to look back upon. It’s a philosophy that believes in taking the negative, erroneous aspects that people often possess, and turn them into productivity, thought and constructive work. The process helps people understand their strengths and weaknesses.

Origin

From the Japanese Language. ‘Han’ means to change. ‘Sei’ means to reflect upon.

Further Reading

•  “Watashi no hansei (Vol-1): joyū seikatsu”(book), by Eiko. Murata.