Jishuken: Learning by doing for sustainable improvement

Jishuken is a hands-on workshop that means "self-learning" in Japanese. It is a practical learning method in which teams, under the guidance of experts, thoroughly analyze and improve a process in their own work environment. The goal is not only to achieve immediate results, but more importantly to increase participants' skills and knowledge so that they can independently apply the principles of continuous improvement.

Development at Toyota

The concept originated at Toyota's Operations Management Consulting Division. It was used as an intensive track to increase a department's skills and improve the level of the Toyota Production System (TPS). These projects often lasted several months and were in-depth in nature, focused on creating lasting change and transferring expertise.

Although the original Jishuken courses were lengthy, the concept has evolved outside Toyota into the more common, five-day Kaizen workshop. Regardless of the duration, the essence of Jishuken remains the same: learning by doing and collectively achieving measurable improvement in work.

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