Revisiting The Toyota Way
January 23rd, 2006 by HalI can't get enough of a good thing. Jeffrey Liker's book, The Toyota Way, gets better each time I read it. I am using the book with a client team to introduce them to the theories and practices of adopting a lean approach to business. We are reading two chapters each day. We discuss our previous day's reading for an hour. As we read we answer three questions:
- What are the author's main points? (What jumps out at you?)
- How are those points relevant or not relevant to the business?
- What possibilities do you see that you want to take action with?
There are eight of us in the group. Team members come from a number of divisions and roles. The variety of backgrounds and perspectives helps us explore a range of interpretations and possibilities. When we get together either in person or on a concall we use the questions to start our discussion. Conversations are lively. By the end of the book the team will be mobilized to make change.
There's plenty to like in The Toyota Way. In this latest read I appreciate the quotes Liker selected at the beginning of each chapter. As one of the team members said, "It really helps reading the chapter titles (and quotes)." Try it!
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January 24th, 2006 at 6:33 am
It is an awesome book, Hal. That’s a great plan you have for covering it as well.
Liker breaks down the TPS in a very readable way. Better, he differentiates the “tools” from the culture and shows how they link. It is indeed one of a few books you can read repeatedly and still get more from.
Glad to have you back on line, Hal!
January 24th, 2006 at 3:17 pm
We just visited a Toyota facility in Portland. Cars from Japan headed for 23 states are offloaded here and then upgraded here with various accesories. The lean influence is as obvious as it is jaw dropping. If you can do a tour with your group, Hal, somewhere, it helps shine a light on it.