seem wasteful, but if you short-circuit this process some of the time, you
will short-circuit it most of the time.
◆ People and Partners. Add value to your organization by challenging
your people and partners to grow. The Toyota Production System (TPS)
was at one time called the “respect for humanity” system. We often think
respecting people means creating a stress-free environment that provides
lots of amenities and is employee friendly. But many of the tools of TPS
aim to raise problems to the surface, creating challenging environments
that force people to think and grow. Thinking, learning, growing, and
being challenged are not always fun. Nor is Toyota’s environment always
fun. But people and Toyota’s partners, including suppliers, grow and
become better and more confident.
◆ Problem solving. Continuously solve root problems to drive organiza-
tional learning. We all solve problems every day whether we like it or not.
Usually we do not like it because problems are really crises—fires to fight.
The same problems come back because we do not get to the root cause and
put in place true countermeasures. In Toyota, even when it would seem a
product launch or a team project has gone flawlessly and achieved all of
the objectives, there were always many problems that had to be solved.
There are always opportunities to learn, so at least those problems are less
apt to come up again. Moreover, when someone in Toyota learns an
important lesson, they are expected to share it with others facing similar
problems so the company can learn.
The 4P model was intended, to some degree, to be hierarchical, with higher
levels building on lower levels. Without a long-term philosophy, a company will
simply not do all the things the other Ps imply. The technical process provides
the setting in which to challenge and develop your people, which is necessary
if you ever hope to achieve a true learning organization focused on continuous
improvement through problem solving.
We organized the chapters within each of the four Ps into prescriptive lessons.
In each chapter we go into some depth about the lesson. We will emphasize
main points through a variety of vehicles:
Tip
This is a tip from our experience that can help you practice the
concept effectively.Trap
Common traps we have experienced that lead people and
organizations to miss the boat in effectively learning a Toyota
Way principle.Chapter 1. Background to the Fieldbook 7