Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement involving all employees. It is based on the concept of continuously improving processes through small, incremental changes over time. The key principles of Kaizen include continuously improving processes at every level of the organization through team-based problem solving and employee involvement. The typical phases of a Kaizen event involve identifying opportunities, analyzing current processes, envisioning improvements, implementing changes, verifying results, and continuously improving. Kaizen emphasizes continuous incremental changes rather than occasional dramatic changes, with the goal of achieving perfection through constant small steps of improvement.