What is the secret of Toyota? Here some key thoughts from Toyota Talent
- It is not possible to duplicate the success of any other company by merely imitating its techniques as it was point out by Robert E. Quinn in Building the Bridge as You Walk on It. He states "The techniques are valuable but people cannot learn to make them work if they are not challenged and supported in the process of learning how to make them to work"
- The concept is simple to understand but very difficult to apply. It requires a dedication to personal change and to the realization that only through facing adversity and hardship will the true benefits be achieved. It is simple but not easy.
- While Taiichi Ohno did not believe in blindly adopting someone else's program, he did borrow voraciously from others: TWI Job Instruction training method. Ohno did not blindly adopt the TWI method but took the bulk of it and modified it to fit Toyota's system.
- Training and Development: Identify the critical knowledge within the workplace and to provide a means of transferring that knowledge effectively
- The acquisition and transfer of knowledge is the only way for people to expand their capabilities and thus improve the performance of the company
- "No goal, regardless of how small, can be achieved without adequate training" Ohno, Toyota Production System: Beyond Large Scale Production, p.69
- "You cannot separate people development from production system development if you want to succeed in the long run" Isao Kato, 02/2006
- Compare to GE and the "vitality curve" described by Jack Welch in his book: JACK: Straight from the Gut. Welch suggests to "let go" the "bottom 10 percent" of performers. While this argument makes logical sense, it overlooks the responsibility of the company to develop people to their highest potential. The reality is the workforce became disengaged and not aligned to the corporate mission. A better approach should be "We will do our best to help you develop the skills and abilities you need to be successful, but you develop the skills and abilities you need to be successful, but you are responsible to make your best effort"
- "Create an environment where hardworking people would thrive and lazy workers would either jump or get thrown right off the buss" the situation will take care of itself - James C. Collins, Good to Great, 2001 p51
