I've done some writing about the work of W. Edwards Deming, quality guru from the 1950's to the 1980's. When his ideas were not initially welcome in the U.S., he turned to Japan.

Business leaders in Japan were hungry for Deming's brilliant ideas that took employee relations into consideration as they built incredible quality into their products.

When I was a child, the "made in Japan" insignia on many goods meant that the item was cheap and junky. By the late 1970's, however, cars and electronics made in Japan were high quality and sought-after. Deming's leadership and his teachings on quality, especially in the manufacturing environments of that time (and later in service businesses), made the difference.

Deming's ideas transformed not only manufacturing processes but also how people were treated in the workplace. From hiring practices to training to evaluation to promotion, employee relations were transformed in Japan.

How have the Japanese people fared in the last 20 years? Many of their products are still considered to be the highest quality in the world. I've also read, however, that their stress levels are quite high, so perhaps the people side of Deming's equations did not infiltrate the society as much as he had hoped.

I recall reading in the 1980's and 1990's about stressed-out Japanese workers who were developing stress-related illnesses and who were suffering from depression in droves, some even taking their own lives.

The Chicago Tribune reported on June 13, 2004 that the Japanese people have a rising incidence of sleep disorders. The article noted that it starts in elementary school, when children stay up late studying, thus beginning a habit of working too hard. This continues into adulthood when they regularly work long hours and commute long distances to their jobs.

In 2000, Japan's Health Ministry reported that 31% of Japanese people said they do not get enough sleep because of their work, school, or commuting. Another 29% said their lack of sleep was due to stress.

To alleviate this, a Japanese company has developed a sleep machine that is a combination of a very fancy chair, a large screen TV, and music. The company that created it, Matsushita Electric Works, claims it will give its users a full 8 hours of sleep. The chair transforms into a sort-of bed, the TV screen displays peaceful, pastoral scenes, and the music is soothing. All of this sells for $30,000.

I'm stressed out just from the price tag.

So how did the Japanese get to such a stressful state? Probably through a variety of means: their intense work ethic, the high cost of living, habits formed in either childhood or young adulthood, the culture, etc.

While I acknowledge that producing a great product or service is wonderful, when the stress of doing so interferes with my health, what's the point? When stress leads to a debilitating illness or early death, that is not success.

The person who dies with the most toys does not win! He dies!

For much of my adult life I've focused on ways to reduce stress. While this focus has not been continuous, an increased stress level brings my attention back to the importance of 'managing stress' every time.

My life has been far from stress-free. When I was 22 or 23, I took one of those stress tests that asks questions about various types of events that occurred in the previous 365 days. For those events that occurred, a certain number of points is given. At the end of the questionnaire you add up all the points and compare the total to a grid to determine your current stress level. When I took that test, my stress level was sky high. (I did not keep that test, but it's a good one. If anyone knows where I can find a test like that, please contact me!)

Finding out that your stress level is high is only helpful if you can do something about it. Before you go out and spend $30,000 on a Matsushita sleep machine, consider what you've done over the last 10 years to reduce your stress level. Then send me an e-mail to tell me about it.