As discussed on our Lean Roadmap page, the culture that exists inside your company will determine the success or failure of your lean initiatives in the long-term. So, how do we cultivate and nurture this culture that we desire to achieve?
Fortunately, I found a great article, How to implement “Lean Thinking” in a Business: Pathway to creating a “Lean Culture”, written by one of my recent twitter connections (lean practitioner and former Toyota employee) that briefly describes the process embraced by Toyota.
I will not paraphrase the content of the article if only to preserve the essence of the presentation and passion that is conveyed in its writing.
As an aside, it is interesting to note that Toyota does not typically refer to their methods as lean. Lean is not a set of tools but rather a manner of thinking and focus on a seemingly elusive target to achieve one piece flow.
The spirit of Lean, like synergy, cannot be taught – only experienced.
An innate ability exists and continues to evolve where team members operate with a high level of synergy and are able to identify and respond to concerns in real-time. Steven Spear also discusses various characteristics or attributes of high performance teams from a different perspective and much wider range of industries in his book “The High Velocity Edge“.
Toyota Recall – Update
Following the release of the NHTSA investigation, Bloomberg Businessweek published an article titled “Toyota, The Media Owe You an Apology“. The article clarifies a number of allegations against Toyota, however, I am reminded that the government’s investigation did not completely exonerate Toyota from having any responsibility.
Whether the failure is mechanical or electronic is moot considering the tragic results that ensued for some. I think the real concern is whether the problem itself has been identified and resolved regardless of fault.
Since we are on the topic of culture, consider the media’s role in reporting the events surrounding the recall. What was your overall sense of the media’s reporting and perspective on this issue?
As you ponder this question, your answer will reveal how quickly events and people of influence can shape our culture. On a much larger scale, consider the current events in Egypt or the last Presidential election in the United States.
As always, I appreciate your feedback – leave a comment or send us an e-mail.
Until Next Time – STAY lean!
Vergence Analytics