The Secret to Efficiency from Igor Kozakov: Discovering Ideas in Familiar Processes
In the world of continuous improvement, every idea matters. How do you learn to see opportunities for change where most people around you see only a familiar, well-established process? We found the answers to these questions in a conversation with Igor Kozakov, one of the leaders in submitting Kaizen ideas according to the results of the second quarter of 2025.
Igor not only submitted the largest number of Kaizen ideas, but also has his own, proven over the years, philosophy on how truly effective solutions are born.
For him, submitting Kaizen ideas is not an end in itself or even a way to get an award - it is part of thinking.
“Thoughts about improving work processes come by themselves. You drive home, half an hour in the car - and your thoughts still revolve around work. It is at such moments that the decision comes! More often than not, ideas are born not at work, but on the road,” he shares.
According to Igor, the main obstacle to improvement is “blindness” of the eyes.
“We are used to everything always being this way. And we don’t see what can be done differently. This is the scariest thing,” he is sure.
He gives a simple but illustrative example: when a new employee came to the warehouse, he immediately suggested moving the machine to another place so as not to use powerful forklifts. “I think, how did we not think of this? A simple solution. And we didn’t see it, because we always put it here.”
That is why Igor specially communicates with new employees when they have gotten used to the workplace a little. This is a source of fresh ideas that helps to recognize problems that have long become “invisible” to the eye of an experienced specialist. As a manager with vast experience, Igor believes that the key to success is the willingness to hear his employees and not be afraid of change.
He doesn’t just wait for ideas, but actively helps to formulate them. You can approach him with a half-finished idea and work it out together. And if the idea is rejected, Igor will definitely explain in detail why. He does not leave the employee alone with the problem, but invites them to think together: "The problem remains. Let's think about it, I'll think about it, maybe we can find a solution together." In his free time, Igor likes to go for walks with a metal detector.
His hobby is searching for historical artifacts. And this is not just a hobby, but a real passion. It requires the same attentiveness, patience and a desire to look beyond the superficial. The finds are worth it: a gold coin of Ancient Rome, dated 2000 BC, a gold moonstone, a silver German knight's cross - such finds do not come across every day, but they are what give the drive.
The secret of Igor's effectiveness is a combination of a relentless desire to improve the surrounding space, the ability to look at processes with a fresh eye, and a sincere belief that the best ideas are often born in the minds of those we learn to listen to. Sometimes, to present Kaizen ideas, it is enough to simply stop being afraid of change and start seeing the obvious.