Case Example: Work Activities Help People Gain
Greater Personal Ability and Satisfaction
An employee at the Toyota plant in Georgetown was very shy and did
not like to speak in front of groups. Speaking in front of others is common
in the Toyota culture. We had discussions daily, reported on issues in
the work area, and often presented the results of Quality Circles and
continuous improvement teams to members of management. Being
too afraid to speak in public, this woman preferred to stay away from
these activities (most were voluntary). She was interested in promotion
potential, but could not get past her fear.
She was finally persuaded to join a Quality Circle, and when the time
came for presentation, she was terrified. Even though she had her
notes, she went entirely blank, but still managed to make it through.
With a little encouragement, she tried another Quality Circle and
improved her presentation at the end. Over the years, she moved to
another job, and when we finally met again she told us that she’d
joined the Lions Club and become the special events coordinator—
a position that required her to make a report of activities at each
meeting! She was proud that she’d been able to overcome her fear
and participate in activities that interested her outside of work.Toyota Suggestion Program
The Toyota Suggestion Program differs from most traditional suggestion pro-
grams in that it is based on the premise that people inherently want to improve
their work environment, and that the contributions of every employee provide
long-term continuous improvement. Toyota understands that the suggestions
of employees ultimately contribute to the bottom line, but more important, that
they provide a sense of ownership and that workers have some control over
their destiny. These feelings lead to greater overall satisfaction. The suggestion
program is not all about the money saved.
Some of the key elements of the program are that it is simple (in all aspects,
from submitting a suggestion through the approval process), and responsibility
for implementing the suggestion is maintained at the lowest possible level. In
this way Toyota is able to accomplish a high submission rate (approximately 10
suggestions per person per year) and a high approval and implementation rate
(over 90 percent).
Every person in the company can submit suggestions (although payment for
salaried personnel is limited to suggestions outside their scope of responsibility),
and suggestions may be made by individuals or groups. The submission process
is simple. A one-page form is used to list the name(s) of the suggester(s), the
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