Standards should not be forced down from above but rather set by the production workers themselves.
Taiichi OhnoRead
The key to the Toyota Way and what makes Toyota stand out is not any of the individual elements…But what is important is having all the elements together as a system. It must be practiced every day in a very consistent manner, not in spurts.
Interpretation
The essence of the Toyota Way lies in the integration of its components as a cohesive system rather than isolated practices.
In this quote, Taiichi Ohno emphasizes that the strength and uniqueness of the Toyota Way stem from the harmonious combination of its various elements. He suggests that successful implementation requires a commitment to consistent daily practice rather than intermittent efforts. This approach fosters a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence, highlighting the importance of systemic thinking in effective leadership.
In practice
In a business seminar discussing effective management strategies.
Standards should not be forced down from above but rather set by the production workers themselves.
The slower but consistent tortoise causes less waste and is more desirable than the speedy hare that races ahead and then stops occasionally to doze. The Toyota Production System can be realized only when all the workers become tortoises.
Where there is no Standard there can be no Kaizen
I’m proud to be Japanese and I wanted my country to succeed. I believed my system was a way that could help us become a modern industrial nation. That is why I had no problem with sharing it with other Japanese companies, even my biggest competitors.
Leadership is the self-confidence of working with people smarter than you.
If you hire people just because they can do a job, they'll work for your money, but if they believe what you believe, they'll work for you with blood and sweat and tears.
My creed is that public service must be more than doing a job efficiently and honestly. It must be a complete dedication to the people and to the nation with full recognition that every human being is entitled to courtesy and consideration, that constructive criticism is not only to be expected but sought, that smears are not only to be expected but fought, that honor is to be earned, not bought.
I don't have any formula for ousting a dictator or building democracy. All I can suggest is to forget about yourself and just think of your people. It's always the people who make things happen.
If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain when I'm in the White House, I'll put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself. I'll walk on that picket line with you as President of the United States of America, because workers deserve to know that somebody is standing in their corner.
I've seen how the issues that come across a president's desk are always the hard ones - the problems where no amount of data or numbers will get you to the right answer.
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