“We Don’t Just Build Cars, We Build People”
In most areas of life, you get out of something what you put into it. This is espe-
cially true when it comes to your associates. If you make little investment in this
resource, it will provide little return. The Toyota Way is centered on the philos-
ophy that people truly are the greatest asset. Toyota leaders are fond of saying
they “build people, not just cars.” What they’re saying is that in the process of
building cars and improving the process, people are learning and developing.
Toyota uses the analogy of a garden to describe their belief in people. The soil
is tended and prepared, the seeds are watered, and when the seeds grow, the
soil is maintained, weeded, and watered again until finally the fruit is ready.
This image is one of dedication, patience, and caring. You must be dedicated to
the seeds for the entire time, be patient in waiting for the reward, and care for
and nurture the plants.
It is also true that employees will fulfill the expectations that you have of
them. When we work with companies, we can usually tell immediately the quality
of people in the facility by simply asking the manager. We may hear comments
such as, “We have trouble getting good people here,” or “We don’t pay enough
so the quality of our people is low.” Often we hear terms like “babysitting” in
reference to employees. Surely these are signs that there are “bad” people work-
ing there. The thing is, it is the manager who’s bad! If the manager believes that
the people are not good, they will live up to that expectation.
Fortunately, we also visit companies where the manager proclaims, “We
have some really good people here. We are very fortunate.” When we walk withDevelop Exceptional
Team Associates
Chapter 11
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