Recommended Continuous Improvement Books

Here are a few books we recommend as great resources for learning more about continuous improvement!

Kaizen

By Masaaki Imai

"For the professional manager or student of management, a comprehensive handbook of 16 Kaizen management practices that can be put to work. KAIZEN uses more than 100 examples in action and contains 15 corporate case studies." - Amazon Summary

Healthcare Kaizen

By Mark Graban and Joe Swartz

Healthcare Kaizen provides guidance for organizations that have embraced weeklong improvement events, but now want to move beyond just doing events into a more complete management system based on Lean or the Toyota Production System. Also check out their "Executive Guide" version.

The Power of Habit

By Charles Duhigg

This book explains why habits exist and how they can be changed. The key to being successful in dieting, business, relationships, etc. is understanding how habits are established and sustained.

The Toyota Way

By Jeffrey Liker

"The Toyota Way is the first book for a general audience that explains the management principles and business philosophy behind Toyota's worldwide reputation for quality and reliability."- Amazon Summary

Gemba Kaizen

By Masaaki Imai

"An updated version of a classic book that shares a wealth of new healthcare examples and case studies from around the world. The methods in this book will help you improve quality and safety, reduce waiting times, and improve the long-term financial position of your organization. Highly recommended!" - Mark Graban

How To Do Kaizen

By Bunji Tozawa and Norman Bodek

This is a timely book on a topic of great importance to managers in these difficult times. The concepts in it will not only help you survive the recession, but emerge from it stronger. If you implement a high-performing idea system, like those described in this book, it will raise your organization s performance to a new level, one that would have been impossible to reach before. - Amazon Review

Creating a Kaizen Culture

By John Miller, et. al

"Transforming a culture is far more about emotional growth than technical maturity. Co-written by leaders at the Kaizen Institute, Creating a Kaizen Culture explains how to enable an adaptive, excellent, and sustainable organization by leveraging core kaizen values and the behaviors they generate." - John Toussant, CEO of ThedaCare

Workplace Management

By Taiichi Ohno

"This unique volume delivers a clear, concise overview of the Toyota Production System and kaizen in the very words of the architect of both of these movements, Taiicho Ohno...  Filled with insightful new commentary from global quality visionaries, Taiichi Ohno’s Workplace Management is a classic that shows how Toyota managers were taught to think." - Amazon Review

Creating a Lean Culture

By David Mann

"This book has long been my ‘go-to’ guide on Lean management practices that help create a culture of continuous improvement and excellence..." - Mark Graban