We call this an inverted-T model in that engineers start off with broad training
for a short time and then spend time getting deep experience in their specialties.
This deep experience, starting with the “freshman project,” is supervised. Many
things are being taught, too many to make up a job breakdown sheet for the
entire job, which takes years to learn. But the job of the supervisor is to be a
teacher. Then the general philosophy of doing parts and building up to doing
the whole job with supervision, feedback, and support is employed for each
aspect of the job. The freshman project is a challenging assignment designed to
give a learning experience on how to approach an engineering project. The two
years after the original orientation year are focused on the specific work of that
specialty. Everything done is supervised by an experienced engineer, like the
old master-apprentice relationship.
It is part of the Toyota culture that every leader is a teacher. And the teach-
ing approach is learning by doing. “Teachers” give students specific assign-
ments,supervise progress, and give specific feedback for improvement. Students
observe teachers doing similar work and learn by observing as well. Unlike
many other companies, Toyota has detailed methodologies for every aspect of
engineering, which makes it more teachable. For example, there are detailed engi-
neeringchecklists for door engineering, which include specific engineering fea-
tures that make up a good door design from an engineering and manufacturing
perspective. This greatly aids in the teaching.
What’s being taught is not just the specific engineering work, but how to
think about problems, how to communicate, how to get input from others, how
to work in teams, how to develop A3 reports (chapter 18), how to observe a
manufacturing process, how to develop standards, and so on. The learning from
school on how to be a professional is too abstract for Toyota. Within Toyota you
learn highly developed processes in the Toyota Way. While engineers seem to
be narrowly focused on a specific part of the car, in fact they are responsible for
that component through all stages of design to launch. So they are learning spe-
cific methods appropriate for each phase of this multiyear process. By the end
of two to three years they have only gone through the product development
process one time. Because the Toyota engineering process is so highly developed,
there is a great deal to learn at each phase of the process, along with general
Toyota Way approaches to problem solving, decision making, and communica-
tion. Several programs taking six to ten years are necessary to start to become
comfortable with the entire process.
In short, the Job Instruction Training given to operators to perform simple
manual tasks with a cycle time of one to three minutes provides a microcosm of
the Toyota view of training. In any task there is a great deal to learn about the
right way to do the job. And a right way has been carefully developed and stan-
dardized. So it becomes teachable. In contrast, if there is no standard, there is no
choice but to throw the employee into the water and hope for the best.
Chapter 11. Develop Exceptional Team Associates 267