Learning to Lead at Toyota
I. Executive Summary
Toyota is one of the world’s largest car manufacturers which have a better approach on developing their product and management’s quality, reliability, productivity, cost reduction, sales and market share growth, and market capitalization. It is one thing to realize that the Toyota Production System (TPS) is a system of nested experiments which operations are constantly improved also known as Kaizen. It is another from TPS to have an organization in which employees and managers at all levels in all functions are able to live those principles and teach others to apply them. Being in a big company like Toyota is a long process to go, especially on Managerial position, they must follow the long, hard way importantly on training. For this following analysis we took the experience of Bob Dallis who trained for Toyota US Plant.
II. Defining the Issue
What is the effective way of developing a manager’s process improvement capabilities? The pseudonymous Bob Dallis, a talented young American was hired for an upper-level position at one of Toyota’s US plants. Dallis, who had taken two (2) Master’s Degree in Engineering and previously worked for various large plants of Toyota’s North American competitors, thought that he already knew the necessary knowledge on managing the company. Before formally working at the said plant, however, he had undergone a tremendous training under Mike Takahashi, a senior manager of the Toyota Supplier Support Center (TSSC) for more than three (3) months. One of Toyota’s principles is to transform individuals into great managers, let alone generating superb cars. The study emphasizes how the company newbie had learned and realized the real essence of being a manager, hence, learning it the long, hard way. This aspect is relevant, but does the ‘Toyota way’ of training the managers complement the needed traits for them to achieve operational excellence?
III. Analysis of the Case Data
All managers at Toyota
Toyota is one of the world’s largest car manufacturers which have a better approach on developing their product and management’s quality, reliability, productivity, cost reduction, sales and market share growth, and market capitalization. It is one thing to realize that the Toyota Production System (TPS) is a system of nested experiments which operations are constantly improved also known as Kaizen. It is another from TPS to have an organization in which employees and managers at all levels in all functions are able to live those principles and teach others to apply them. Being in a big company like Toyota is a long process to go, especially on Managerial position, they must follow the long, hard way importantly on training. For this following analysis we took the experience of Bob Dallis who trained for Toyota US Plant.
II. Defining the Issue
What is the effective way of developing a manager’s process improvement capabilities? The pseudonymous Bob Dallis, a talented young American was hired for an upper-level position at one of Toyota’s US plants. Dallis, who had taken two (2) Master’s Degree in Engineering and previously worked for various large plants of Toyota’s North American competitors, thought that he already knew the necessary knowledge on managing the company. Before formally working at the said plant, however, he had undergone a tremendous training under Mike Takahashi, a senior manager of the Toyota Supplier Support Center (TSSC) for more than three (3) months. One of Toyota’s principles is to transform individuals into great managers, let alone generating superb cars. The study emphasizes how the company newbie had learned and realized the real essence of being a manager, hence, learning it the long, hard way. This aspect is relevant, but does the ‘Toyota way’ of training the managers complement the needed traits for them to achieve operational excellence?
III. Analysis of the Case Data
All managers at Toyota