ABSTRACT
People will understand something if the reasoning is explained to them. Understanding is a function of reason, whereas conviction is an emotion. People will not swing into action until they are convinced by the arguments. All Japanese companies have adopted suggestion systems, and many suggestions for improvements are being generated. Proposals for improvement that come out of the shop must be evaluated. The non-confrontational, affirmative approach is an effective way to develop better improvement plans. Shop workers' desire to make suggestions will cool in companies with negative-thinking improvement assassins, and only a few diehard "suggestion freaks" will continue to make proposals. Often, companies kill suggestion activities entirely by presenting awards for prizewinning suggestions but ignoring rejected proposals. People in the shop will rapidly lose interest in making suggestions if their proposals are killed off so readily. The fact is that most people on the shop floor tend to oppose improvement schemes.
