of the TPS philosophy. There was no other way it could make sense to him. The
only way to gain true understanding was through doing. We like to suggest to
companies that when they first learn a concept, try it, then think and reflect on
the result to learn more, and then try again, and again. At Toyota, team associ-
ates were always encouraged to keep trying, to keep improving, and to never
stop growing and developing.
Sometimes the simplest lessons provide the most profound education. We
have been fortunate over the years to work with many exceptional teachers of
the Toyota Way. It has not always been an easy education. On one particular day
David’s mentor, Mr. Takeuchi, was insistent that he complete a particular task
immediately. David was fairly busy and had his attention on other issues. He
explained that he would take care of Takeuchi’s request in a few weeks (he said
“Atto dei,”which means “Later” in Japanese). But Takeuchi gently suggested that
David complete his request immediately—imain Japanese. This tug of war went
back and forth, with David insisting he would take care of it later and Takeuchi sug-
gesting that he would prefer immediately. One thing about Mr. Takeuchi is that
he is both patient and persistent. Ultimately his persistence won out over his
patience. Finally, he motioned David to the nearest meeting room where there
was a white board, drew a stair step diagram (Figure 20-6) and said, “Dave-san,
our job is, every day, little up.”
462 THETOYOTAWAYFIELDBOOK
Figure 20-6. Every day, little up!
Drawing an arrow parallel to the stairs, he said, “Then, over time, we up!”
(Figure 20-7).
In a moment like this, valuable lessons are often lost. In this case David just
wanted to get Takeuchi off his back, so he complied with his request. Sometime
later David realized the power within this simple message. Toyota simply strives
to make small gains continuously, every day. If they can make these improve-
ments consistently over time, the company will grow stronger. It was the
leader’s responsibility to ensure that everyone was making some contribution