Comments on: Toyota’s Lesson for Project Managers http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2010/02/10/1060/ The magazine for the project age Fri, 15 Apr 2011 17:20:14 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Itaz http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2010/02/10/1060/comment-page-1/#comment-21935 Itaz Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:52:04 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/?p=1060#comment-21935 For an organization such as Toyota there are enough lessons to learn from this setback than from all their successful ventures. For an organization such as Toyota there are enough lessons to learn from this setback than from all their successful ventures.

]]> By: David http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2010/02/10/1060/comment-page-1/#comment-21933 David Fri, 11 Mar 2011 10:07:06 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/?p=1060#comment-21933 Just wondering how Hal is: no blog action for months. If he's not well, best wishes, and my thoughts are with him, David Just wondering how Hal is: no blog action for months. If he’s not well, best wishes, and my thoughts are with him,

David

]]> By: LSS http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2010/02/10/1060/comment-page-1/#comment-21809 LSS Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:47:21 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/?p=1060#comment-21809 It's been interesting to see how Toyota's been handling the recalls - there have been several. I think they screwed up at first, but have made somewhat of a comeback, not completely, but to an extent. Though I wonder how much that has to do with Toyota and how much has to do with the public beginning to forget since it's not in front of them 24/7 any longer. It’s been interesting to see how Toyota’s been handling the recalls – there have been several.

I think they screwed up at first, but have made somewhat of a comeback, not completely, but to an extent.

Though I wonder how much that has to do with Toyota and how much has to do with the public beginning to forget since it’s not in front of them 24/7 any longer.

]]> By: Project Manager http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2010/02/10/1060/comment-page-1/#comment-21701 Project Manager Wed, 27 Oct 2010 20:11:35 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/?p=1060#comment-21701 With the magnitude of his job I think it is safe to assume that he cannot be accused of having bad intentions. I'm sure his over-sight lapsed and certain things happened that shouldn't have. We all make mistakes, but seeing how the company bounces back will be good learning material for all of us. Sincerely, <a href="http://projectmanagerinfo.com" rel="nofollow">Project Manager</a> With the magnitude of his job I think it is safe to assume that he cannot be accused of having bad intentions. I’m sure his over-sight lapsed and certain things happened that shouldn’t have. We all make mistakes, but seeing how the company bounces back will be good learning material for all of us. Sincerely, Project Manager

]]> By: Jessie Warner http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2010/02/10/1060/comment-page-1/#comment-21673 Jessie Warner Tue, 12 Oct 2010 20:19:16 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/?p=1060#comment-21673 I think Toyota has been and continues to be a good company and does many things right. Their mistake will pass in time and soon people won't even remember that it happened. Lucky for us and them. I think Toyota has been and continues to be a good company and does many things right. Their mistake will pass in time and soon people won’t even remember that it happened. Lucky for us and them.

]]> By: Art http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2010/02/10/1060/comment-page-1/#comment-21669 Art Fri, 08 Oct 2010 19:01:09 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/?p=1060#comment-21669 Hi Hal , we would be interested in interviewing you for our website. Please take a look at our site http://www.operationsmanager.com and send me an email if you would like to be interviewed . Art Manager www.OperationsManager.com Hi Hal , we would be interested in interviewing you for our website. Please take a look at our site http://www.operationsmanager.com and send me an email if you would like to be interviewed .

Art
Manager
http://www.OperationsManager.com

]]> By: Paul Baybour http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2010/02/10/1060/comment-page-1/#comment-21463 Paul Baybour Sat, 13 Mar 2010 22:26:06 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/?p=1060#comment-21463 Every successful organisation makes the mistake of believing its own publicity. Toyota has come a long way from its birth a truly lean organisation. It was lean not out of choice but because it was the only affordable option. Ideas like these have a natural life cycle. Why so we expect more from Toyota than any other car manufacture. Every successful organisation makes the mistake of believing its own publicity. Toyota has come a long way from its birth a truly lean organisation. It was lean not out of choice but because it was the only affordable option. Ideas like these have a natural life cycle. Why so we expect more from Toyota than any other car manufacture.

]]> By: Freelance Project Manager http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2010/02/10/1060/comment-page-1/#comment-21462 Freelance Project Manager Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:07:44 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/?p=1060#comment-21462 I think mistakes do happen in any organisation and we are all falleable and make mistakes. The same with any project, admit a mistake has been made, do your best to rectify it and document the lesson learned and make someone accountable for owning or actioning that lesson. I think mistakes do happen in any organisation and we are all falleable and make mistakes. The same with any project, admit a mistake has been made, do your best to rectify it and document the lesson learned and make someone accountable for owning or actioning that lesson.

]]> By: doc_usui http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2010/02/10/1060/comment-page-1/#comment-21461 doc_usui Sat, 13 Mar 2010 05:18:39 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/?p=1060#comment-21461 I think lesson on this time is too much human error According to the NHTSA, It looks like 95% or more root cause of the unintended acceleration is human error. It means people are depressing acceleration pedal instead of brake pedal when they try to stop. If so, we can not fix these unintended acceleration problem even if we have non troubled car or we introduce brake prioritized control program. For example Prius have this control but still creating unintended acceleration problem. To prevent this kind of human error, I think we must change our vehicle operation manner to suppress this kind of miss operation. I think miss operation caused by to use same foot and depressing action for both acceleration and braking. So one of possible counter measure is using hand for braking. Like installing a multiple braking grip around the steering column? It looks funny but If we think seriously to prevent unintended acceleration accident, I believe we need this kind of counter measure. Also If we can eliminate human error and still have unintended acceleration problem then we must fund another root cause and counter measure. I think taking action from bigger matter is the basic of problem solving. I think lesson on this time is too much human error

According to the NHTSA, It looks like 95% or more root cause of the unintended acceleration is human error. It means people are depressing acceleration pedal instead of brake pedal when they try to stop.

If so, we can not fix these unintended acceleration problem even if we have non troubled car or we introduce brake prioritized control program. For example Prius have this control but still creating unintended acceleration problem.

To prevent this kind of human error, I think we must change our vehicle operation manner to suppress this kind of miss operation. I think miss operation caused by to use same foot and depressing action for both acceleration and braking. So one of possible counter measure is using hand for braking. Like installing a multiple braking grip around the steering column?

It looks funny but If we think seriously to prevent unintended acceleration accident, I believe we need this kind of counter measure. Also If we can eliminate human error and still have unintended acceleration problem then we must fund another root cause and counter measure. I think taking action from bigger matter is the basic of problem solving.

]]> By: Will Burden http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2010/02/10/1060/comment-page-1/#comment-21445 Will Burden Sat, 13 Feb 2010 20:09:48 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/?p=1060#comment-21445 The core of TPS is the awareness that the system is not perfect, but that it can always be made better. That is the role of the people in the process. Those who actually worked with Taichi Ohno, probably the key architect/implementer of TPS as we know it, all talk about his relentless role in keeping people focused on the system, and on the intense discipline of applying TPS precepts to any process. It is, for most of us, inherently counterintuitive. The fact that it works pretty well on the production floor does not mean that it will automatically transfer to the sales and marketing side of the business without the same discipline. Those who have some experience with Toyota management will probably recognize, if they look closely, that kaizen can also be used to ignore or redefine problems, or to focus on solutions that meet other requirements than "customer first." It's not the tool, it's the system. The philosophy IS scalable. If the staff seems fearful of pulling the andan cord, that goes to the heart of TPS, not just its application in this case. The core of TPS is the awareness that the system is not perfect, but that it can always be made better. That is the role of the people in the process. Those who actually worked with Taichi Ohno, probably the key architect/implementer of TPS as we know it, all talk about his relentless role in keeping people focused on the system, and on the intense discipline of applying TPS precepts to any process. It is, for most of us, inherently counterintuitive. The fact that it works pretty well on the production floor does not mean that it will automatically transfer to the sales and marketing side of the business without the same discipline.
Those who have some experience with Toyota management will probably recognize, if they look closely, that kaizen can also be used to ignore or redefine problems, or to focus on solutions that meet other requirements than “customer first.” It’s not the tool, it’s the system.
The philosophy IS scalable. If the staff seems fearful of pulling the andan cord, that goes to the heart of TPS, not just its application in this case.

]]> By: Steve Romero, IT Governance Evangelist, PMP http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2010/02/10/1060/comment-page-1/#comment-21444 Steve Romero, IT Governance Evangelist, PMP Sat, 13 Feb 2010 16:50:49 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/?p=1060#comment-21444 Nice advice for Project Managers. I just want to temper the expectation on Project Managers by including Project Sponsors in your quest for diligence and fostering open communication. Given the inevitable unknown you rightfully anticipate, Project Sponsors need to be open to change, tolerant of mistakes, and responsive to customer needs. If Project Managers are to have any chance of managing a team that speaks up and freely shares information, Project Sponsors must work with Enterprise Leaders to create a culture that values and rewards accurate information - whether the news is bad or good. I have seen few organizations with the audacity and courage to accept the unknown you describe, and even fewer with the tolerance, resilience and perseverance to overcome the types of challenges Toyota now faces. Steve Romero, IT Governance Evangelist http://community.ca.com/blogs/theitgovernanceevangelist/ Nice advice for Project Managers. I just want to temper the expectation on Project Managers by including Project Sponsors in your quest for diligence and fostering open communication. Given the inevitable unknown you rightfully anticipate, Project Sponsors need to be open to change, tolerant of mistakes, and responsive to customer needs. If Project Managers are to have any chance of managing a team that speaks up and freely shares information, Project Sponsors must work with Enterprise Leaders to create a culture that values and rewards accurate information – whether the news is bad or good. I have seen few organizations with the audacity and courage to accept the unknown you describe, and even fewer with the tolerance, resilience and perseverance to overcome the types of challenges Toyota now faces.

Steve Romero, IT Governance Evangelist
http://community.ca.com/blogs/theitgovernanceevangelist/

]]> By: Hal http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2010/02/10/1060/comment-page-1/#comment-21443 Hal Sat, 13 Feb 2010 15:59:35 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/?p=1060#comment-21443 Dear Dr. K, Shameless transparency is one of Toyota's aims. They say it differently, but they celebrate when people announce their own failings. In fact, not doing so is a reason for firing. But it is not in our nature, certainly not in Western society, to announce our mistakes in the moment we make them. It seems contrary to our human condition. Thirteen years ago I joined <a href="http://www.neenan.com" rel="nofollow">The Neenan Company</a>, a design-build firm in Fort Collins, CO, to be their COO. David Neenan understood that their only hope of competing and thriving rested on everyone in his company and on his projects to celebrate the learning that came from the mistakes we made and encountered. He had a large Chinese gong in the lobby to be used for announcing and sharing the learning from mistakes. As you might imagine new people would hesitate to bang the gong. I was hesitant. Small mistakes that were quickly addressed didn't look like learning opportunities. Big mistakes were too embarrassing. It took courage to bang the gong...courage that was rewarded each time with praise. Toyota, like Neenan, work on shameless transparency. Neither has achieved it. Neither is in denial about it. Neither just hopes that one day it will work. Both have complementary practices to stay close with their staff, partners and customers so they can avoid upsets. Still, it is not perfect. Dear Dr. K,

Shameless transparency is one of Toyota’s aims. They say it differently, but they celebrate when people announce their own failings. In fact, not doing so is a reason for firing. But it is not in our nature, certainly not in Western society, to announce our mistakes in the moment we make them. It seems contrary to our human condition.

Thirteen years ago I joined The Neenan Company, a design-build firm in Fort Collins, CO, to be their COO. David Neenan understood that their only hope of competing and thriving rested on everyone in his company and on his projects to celebrate the learning that came from the mistakes we made and encountered. He had a large Chinese gong in the lobby to be used for announcing and sharing the learning from mistakes. As you might imagine new people would hesitate to bang the gong. I was hesitant. Small mistakes that were quickly addressed didn’t look like learning opportunities. Big mistakes were too embarrassing. It took courage to bang the gong…courage that was rewarded each time with praise.

Toyota, like Neenan, work on shameless transparency. Neither has achieved it. Neither is in denial about it. Neither just hopes that one day it will work. Both have complementary practices to stay close with their staff, partners and customers so they can avoid upsets. Still, it is not perfect.

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