Quotes from "Toyota Culture"

I've been making my way through the book Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way at a regrettably slow pace. There's such good stuff in there... the chapter on "Servant Leadership" is outstanding. Page 320 includes a few statements/quotes that were "drilled into the minds and hearts of leaders at Toyota":

• "The team member is the expert."
• "Focus on the problem, not the person."
• "Mistakes are okay as long as people learn from them."
• "Take care of the people building the cars."
• "You work for your team members."

So simple, so brilliant.... so hard to adopt if you just "don't get it" or "can't get it."

Is it that difficult compared to implementing Lean methods like "kanban"? It sure seems like it... if statements like those above seem wrong or rub you the wrong way, can you be successful with Lean? A subtitle for the chapter could have been, "Get your ego out of the way", don't you think?

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Are We Cowboys or Not?

Fixing East-West clash challenging

Prof. Jeffrey Liker keynoted a Lean event in Oklahoma and is quoted as saying:

Maybe the cowboy and the samurai best illustrate the chasm between Eastern and Western corporate cultures, author Jeffrey Liker offered Thursday during the Southwestern Lean Conference.

The cowboy is identified as an iconoclast, the epitome of self reliance and going his own road, he said, while the samurai is all about serving the boss and working as part of the team.

"They're pretty different," Liker, author of the "The Toyota Way" and other books about the company, said of the contrasting cultural views. "This is a big challenge for the West."

What do you think about that? Are we incurable "cowboys" (and cowgirls) here in the West?

Last month, I wrote about some provocative words from Norman Bodek. Bodek says the "cowboy" thing is a myth perpetuated by management to keep employees from working together.

Anyway, I'm not trying to start a "Liker v Bodek" battle, but it's an interesting contrast in perspectives.

Liker made some other excellent points:

"When you have a quality problem, it's almost always a management problem," Liker said.

This is true in factories or hospitals. Rather than blaming individuals, we have to look at the system and the processes that could have led to the error. Good reactions include error proofing, not just blaming or punishing people.

He also talked about leadership, again contrasting East v. West:

Managers under the lean manufacturing system must constantly adapt to change and need time to quietly analyze problems before choosing paths. Toyota also provides management mentors who guide their proteges directly for years at a time.

Managers who buy into the Toyota way understand the Western and Eastern contrasts more clearly and are able to bridge the two sides, Liker noted. For instance, the Western view sees the world as logical and even tamable, while the East believes the world is still partially concealed, threatening and something that forces personal adaptation.

What are your thoughts and experiences with this? Toyota is able to train Western managers and workers to work under their model and system... is this East v. West? Or is it like Dr. Deming said, "people will work under any system..."?

I'm by no means an expert on Japanese or Eastern culture... I do realize there are differences, but does talking about the differences give people in the West an excuse to say "we're not Japanese, so we can't do this"??

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A Japanese Paper on the Spread of TPS

CURRENTS / 'Toyota way' inspires lean practices

From a Japanese newspaper, an article about the impact the Toyota Production System is having on organizations around the world.

The first example is the U.S. military, the Air Force more specifically:

Since embarking a decade ago on what it described as a "lean journey," the U.S. Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) has halved the time taken to overhaul the massive C-5 Galaxy transport aircraft from 339 days to just 171 days. More efficient repair and maintenance work also enables the AFMC--charged with keeping the U.S. Air Force equipped--to keep an additional 100 KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft operational.

Jeff Liker, who has done consulting for the military, described some of the waste in the process:

"They were weak on standardized processes. There was inventory everywhere, the maintenance people were doing as much walking as working. It took a lot of time to turnaround the ships and aircraft," Liker said. "The turnaround time was a major focus--as an asset under repair is not working for the country and the cost of building more is astronomical."

The article mentions the Toyota Supplier Support Center (TSSC), a U.S.-based organization that provides assistance to American manufacturers and organzations. The ideal of not using Lean improves to drive layoffs comes straight from Toyota:

TSSC charges fees only to cover labor costs and travel expenses. One precondition TSSC insists on before offering to share its skills is that the company being assisted must agree not to shed workers who become superfluous due to the implementation of kaizen--continuous improvement practices.

Companies are going along with this, thankfully:

"All companies we have helped respect this, and some have even used the surplus workers for expanding production or starting new projects," Yokoi said. "I believe when team members feel secure in their jobs and are able to contribute to the business conditions of the company, they are more willing to be creative in improving their own processes and working conditions to produce quality products in the most efficient ways."

It *is* possible to use Lean as a growth strategy, not just for cost cutting. Helping team members feel secure in their jobs, being able to contribute, to be cmreative -- that's "Respect for People" in action.

The article then meanders into a discussion of how many Japanese companies are struggling with low productivity... but you can check out the linked article if you're interested in reading more about that.

But, as a great final though, Toyota Chairman Fujio Cho highlights the critical importance of valuing people:

"Manufacturers treating workers as simply one of the 'three Ms'--men, machines and material--won't develop in terms of international competitiveness," Cho said. "We firmly believe that we need to value our workers so much that every single one of them feels part of the management of the company and an active participant in everyday business."

That's so much better than treating people as a cost to be eliminated, isn't it??

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LeanBlog Podcast #41 - Jeff Liker, Toyota Culture, Part 3

Here is LeanBlog Podcast #41 with Dr. Jeffrey Liker, Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan. Dr. Liker is most recently the co-author (with Michael Hoseus) of Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way and many other books, which can be found here on amazon.com. This is part 3 of our recent series. Today, we talk about the development of managers within a Lean organization.

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

You can use the player (use the VCR-type controls) below to listen to a "streaming" version of the podcast (or click here for the streaming audio and RSS subscription). The streaming link is faster for one-time listening (hardly any delay to start listening). Or you can use the download link to put it on your iPod or other MP3 player.

MP3 File Right-Click to "Save As"

LeanBlog Podcast #41 Key Points & Links

• From a listener: Many companies shift managers around almost constantly. How does Toyota develop their managers in a way that helps encourage "respect for people?"
• Other companies where Toyota can find similar leaders: NUMMI, Subaru
• Developing vs hiring leaders -- does your culture just evolve or do you teach the culture?
• 3 years is typically the rule of thumb for how long a manager should be in place, more important, though, is who is there in the workgroup who provides leadership? Is there someone to pick up the leadership gap if one person leavfes?
• Toyota does rotate leaders to develop people
• With the "quality people value stream," you should be developing people every day
• Dr. Liker talks about his firm Optiprise
  

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LeanBlog Podcast #39 - Jeff Liker, Toyota Culture, Part 2

Here is LeanBlog Podcast #39, once again featuring Dr. Jeffrey Liker, Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan. Dr. Liker is most recently the co-author (with Michael Hoseus) of Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way and many other books, which can be found here on amazon.com. This is part 2 of what will be a 3-part podcast series, so be sure to check back. Today, we talk about some of the challenges that organizations face in trying to adopt a Lean Culture.

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

You can use the player (use the VCR-type controls) below to listen to a "streaming" version of the podcast (or click here for the streaming audio and RSS subscription). The streaming link is faster for one-time listening (hardly any delay to start listening). Or you can use the download link to put it on your iPod or other MP3 player.

MP3 File Right-Click to "Save As"

LeanBlog Podcast #39 Key Points & Links

• Will Dr. Liker be writing more about companies who have gone through the Lean culture transformation, examples other than Toyota, ala his earlier book, Becoming Lean: Inside Stories of U.S. Manufacturers?


• Bob Emiliani's book on Wiremold: Better Thinking, Better Results Case Study and Analysis of an Enterprise-Wide Lean Transformation


• Why is it so hard to find examples of companies that have really adopted a Lean culture?


• Thoughts on the impact of top American leaders departing Toyota (Jim Press and Gary Convis)

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

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LeanBlog Podcast #37 - Jeff Liker, Toyota Culture, Part 1 of 3

Here is LeanBlog Podcast #37, once again featuring Dr. Jeffrey Liker, Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan. Dr. Liker is most recently the co-author (with Michael Hoseus) of Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way and many other books, which can be found here on amazon.com. This is part 1 of what will be a 3-part podcast series, so be sure to check back.

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

You can use the player (use the VCR-type controls) below to listen to a "streaming" version of the podcast (or click here for the streaming audio and RSS subscription). The streaming link is faster for one-time listening (hardly any delay to start listening). Or you can use the download link to put it on your iPod or other MP3 player.

MP3 File Right-Click to "Save As"

LeanBlog Podcast #37 Key Points

• Overview of the book, how it builds on the previous books.
• The people part is such a foundation of the Toyota Way, had to expand upon it.
• Looking at the cultural assumptions in the 14 principles.
• In the book, seeing a "day in the life" of a Toyota supervisor.
• Get a clearer picture of the "respect for people" principle throughout the book
• Thoughts on implementing Lean the "wrong way."
  

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

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Starting to Read "Toyota Culture"

I've read the first chapter of Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way. I'm obviously not going to get through the whole thing before my podcast interview with Jeff Liker tomorrow. If you have questions for the podcast, let me know today.

The first chapter provides a good overview and framework around the general question of "so what is a company or organizational culture?" Liker and his co-authors cover some of the aspects of what is "Toyota Culture" versus "Japanese Culture" and the influences that Japan has had on Toyota and how the culture has changed or adapted in the West.

The authors are pretty blunt in their assessment that many companies are implementing Lean the wrong way -- with failure modes including:

• Viewing Lean as a "toolkit"
• Wanting central control, powerpoint reviews, and obsessive cost justification
• Wanting to do Lean everywhere all at once instead of starting with a model line area

There's also a great story from co-author Hoseus from his time working a line at Toyota in Japan. He created a small scratch inside a wheelwell and thought, "Maybe I could get away with that... should I pull the andon cord or not?" He pulled the cord, alerting the team leader of the problem. He not only got coaching on how to avoid that problem again (instead of getting yelled at), but the team members APPLAUDED him for admitting to a mistake. That sort of behavior is pretty rare among companies that are implementing the Lean tools without really focusing on their culture and behaviors.

There's also some pretty blunt talk about the differences between Six Sigma and Lean. The authors say that the Six Sigma view of "Y = f (X)" is an overly simplistic view of work as consisting of a bunch of independent variables, instead of viewing a workplace as a complex system. I'm sorry to stoke the sometimes contentious debate about Six Sigma and Lean, but I'm curious to see if the authors talk about this more.

There's a lot of great knowledge in this book for just $20.

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"Toyota Culture" is Out

Jeffrey Liker's new book on Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way is out. I'm getting a copy on Tuesday and hope to post a review ASAP. If anyone else is reading it, feel free to share comments here.

Update: I am recording a podcast interview with Dr. Liker on January 27. If you have questions for him, email me, or call the Lean Line to record an audio question. You can catch earlier discussions with him here and here.

Maybe this should be "culture week" here on the blog. On Tuesday, I'm attending the Lean Enterprise Institute class on "Creating a Sustainable Lean Culture" here in Dallas (anyone else attending???)

If anyone has stories to share about your own "lean culture" efforts, post a comment or email me using the link in left-hand column. Anything emailed to me will only be published with your express permission and I'll respect any needs for anonymity. Are you successfully transitioning to a "lean culture?" What are you struggling with?

I've been fortunate to be working one hospital laboratory department, in particular, that is doing some really good work toward becoming more lean in their management approach and culture (kaizen, problem solving, and other lean methods). Maybe I can ask their director to share some thoughts on their experiences. Lots of good work going on in other hospitals too, that's very encouraging.

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BusinessWeek Debate Room Toyota, Take the Wheel

BusinessWeek Debate Room Toyota, Take the Wheel

Business Week poses this debate question:

The Japanese manufacturer deserves its new status as the No. 1 automaker, because it produces better vehicles than Detroit does. Pro or con?

Jeff Liker argues "pro." A guy from something called the "Level Field Institute" makes the usual excuses about yen valuations and labor costs.

What do you think?

Jeff Liker on "Happy Cows"

FT.com / Business Life - In pursuit of happiness:

Interesting quote from Jeff Liker in the Financial Times about TPS and an example of a hospital in the UK:

"“There is no evidence that happy cows make better milk, and there never will be,” says Jeffrey Liker, professor of industrial and operations engineering at the University of Michigan. However, fresh from making a study of “talent development” by Japanese company Toyota, he argues that the Toyota philosophy that no one comes to work to do a job, they come to work to learn how to do the job better, satisfies all theories of human motivation (rewards, feedback, recognition, opportunity to learn, sense of autonomy etc).

One organisation trying to apply such lean methods is Bolton NHS Trust in the UK. We are trying to redesign the work we do back from our [patients] rather than forwards from our staff,” says David Fillingham, chief executive. Staff are happier for it, he insists. “Reducing paperwork for staff in the stroke unit by 42 per cent makes their job easier, so they’re happier.” They are also happier when they see patients getting a better service. And they’re more motivated if they have been involved in redesigning the process.”"

As managers and leaders, we so often forget the innate desire that most people have to do a good job. We so often strip that intrinsic motivation away and replace it extrinsic motivations, such as rewards, bonuses, raises, and other purely financial incentives.

LeanBlog Review: Toyota Talent

Toyota Talent is the third, and newest, book in the "Toyota Way" series:

• The Toyota Way, written by Dr. Jeffrey Liker
• The Toyota Way Fieldbook, by Liker and David Meier
• Toyota Talent, Liker and Meier

They are a trilogy of books, but each is very different and has its own unique place in the lean literature. These books are unlike a series of novels, such as the Harry Potter series (I presume, not having read them), where you necessarily have to read all of them.

The Toyota Way is an outstanding overview of the Toyota methodology, philosophy, and management system. The book does an excellent job of describing how Toyota is, in a high-level manner that can be applied across industries, including the gap between manufacturing and healthcare. The Toyota Way is one of the very first books I would recommend to any executive or manager to get a sense of the overall Toyota system (helping them avoid the urge to implement selected lean tools without understanding the entire system.

The Toyota Way Fieldbook was not, as some might have thought, simply a paperback version of The Toyota Way. The Fieldbook was an altogether different book, with a different purpose. As effective as The Toyota Way was, the Fieldbook was necessary for filling in the gaps in a reader's mind, someone who thought, "Ok, I know how Toyota is.... but how do *I* get there??" The Fieldbook is more of a guide for "how to implement" the Toyota Production System. The Fieldbook is one I would recommend to managers or active practitioners in a lean transformation.

Now, the Toyota Way team is setting out to write what should be considered an altogether new trilogy and series of books -- related to The Toyota Way and the Fieldbook, but with a different purpose. The three books in this series are:

• Toyota Talent
• Toyota Process
• Toyota Problem Solving

These books will, I would assume, follow a similar structure and tone, each diving deep (Very deeply, based on Toyota Talent) into a single core idea in the Toyota Mindset.

Toyota Talent is *NOT* a book only for H.R. professionals. If you think that developing people is the job of H.R., then don't even bother reading this book. Developing people, getting the most out of your organization's human potential, is the job of every leader in a lean organization. If your idea of developing people is to fire your "bottom 10%" each year, replacing them with better talent then, again, save your $20 and buy another Jack Welch tome. I saw a copy in an airport bookstore the other day, which was nice to see, but it also struck me as odd, since that seems like the executive market that the publisher is targeting. I'm happy for Liker and Meier if that helps sell more copies.

So who *should* read this book, then? Well, I think different parts of the book have different audiences. The first section, Getting the Organization Ready to Develop Exception People, consists of four overview chapters. For the executive reader, I'd recommend the first two chapters, which provide a concise summary of the Toyota Way philosophy and how developing people supports lean and, more importantly, long-term business success.

So I'm saying the executives shouldn't bother learning the details of Toyota Talent? In a perfect world, or an ideal lean organization, maybe executives would eat this stuff up. But, I think it's more realistic to have executives read the first few chapters so they can understand what their organization will be implementing. If time is tight, the rest of the book might contain too much detail. Let the line leaders and implementors digest the content and start implementing, coaching the executives with the distilled version (and key points) of Toyota Talent. If you disagree with that approach, please comment using the link at the end of this post.

Now, to the meat of the book. Toyota Talent really breaks new ground, rather than re-hashing things we've all read before. Unless you have a strong background in the Training Within Industry methodology, much of the book will be an eye opener, giving you approaches and tools that can be implemented immediately. Toyota Talent is written more along the lines of the Fieldbook, in the sense that the authors give you specifics that can be implemented, rather than just a description of Toyota's system.

If you're an active lean change agent (as a line manager or a consultant), this book is a must read. The book demystifies the world of Standardized Work and breaks it down into something concrete and practical. The book not only explains how to develop and implement a standardized work system, it also (in typical Toyota style), explains much of the "why" -- why do we implement standardized work?

The book sets a tone of not standardizing for the sake of standardizing. The methodology focuses on figuring out what matters, and doing so by getting input from the value adding employees. Focusing on safety and quality is a key part of Toyota Talent's methodology. The book gives a method for breaking down the work content of existing jobs, using highly repetitive manufacturing examples as well as a highly variable healthcare environment (a nurse in a hospital). The method is presented in a way that DOES make sense for both environments, which might be a surprise to many readers.

Toyota Talent covers the entire standardized work process:

• Deciding what to standardize
• Breaking work content down and documenting standardized work
• How to train in a highly effective manner

The book builds upon the Training Within Industry methodology, as written about in other books. But, Toyota Talent explains how Toyota built upon the TWI framework to create something uniquely Toyota, but adaptable to almost any environment.

Even with my caveats (and maybe my cynicism about executive attention spans), I highly recommend Toyota Talent. It carves out a very unique, and helpful, place in the lean literature. It's a very readable book, written in a down to earth and practical style.

Have you also read the book? What did you think? What did you find to be helpful?

If you have questions, I can try to line up responses from Liker or Meier, in another blog post (maybe David will post or comment himself) or via a Podcast interview.

Updated: David Meier *has* agreed to do a Podcast interview, so let me know (via a comment or email) if you have a question for him.

New Book, "Toyota Talent:" Out NOW

Toyota Talent

Update 5/6/07: The book is now shipping from Amazon

I had the pleasure of reading a pre-publication version of this new book from Prof. Jeffrey Liker and David Meier. You know Jeff from The Toyota Way (and my Podcasts with him) and David from his co-authorship (with Jeff) of The Toyota Way Fieldbook (and my Podcast with David).

Toyota Talent is refreshing in that it really adds to the Lean literature in the important area of Standard Work and the development of people. The book probably has a less broad audience than The Toyota Way, given its more detailed treatment of the topic, but this book will be invaluable if you are working with actual Lean implementation on a daily basis -- in manufacturing or healthcare. There are examples from multiple industries included, in fact, so this isn't just a book about Toyota.

From the back cover:

Leading Toyota authorities Jeffrey Liker and David Meier give you the keys to growing top performers from within through a detailed process of preparation, training, and follow-up. Drawing upon Liker's detailed study of Toyota's manufacturing, technical, and service organizations across the globe, and Meier's deep experience gained from working with some of Toyota's best sensei, the authors bring the company's proven practices to life through insight and exercises, enabling you to:

• Define your organizational needs and objectives
• Create development plans for all employees
• Grow your top talent from within
• Analyze routine work and ancillary tasks
• Break down a job for effective training
• Break the cycle of poor training and results to create a cycle of continuous learning and improvement

There are many helpful tips, including this one from page 135:

"The "real world" of the nurse's job requires flexibility and the ability to respond to the ever-changing situation. We hear this same objection in manufacturing or other fields where the work appears to be highly variable. It is assumed that the nurse's job must be made routine like an assembly line job. Herein lies the mistake. It is not the intent of standardized work to make all work highly repetitive; it is the intent to define the best methods and to reduce variation in the work method as much as possible."

That is outstanding advice for applying Standard Work to different healthcare environments. People say they don't want to be turned into robots. I think this book will show you a practical approach to Standard Work development and training that respects people as living, thinking, creative humans.

"Toyota Talent" out April 29

Amazon.com: Toyota Talent: Books: Jeffrey Liker,David Meier

This has been an exciting week for me. Monday, I met David Mann, author of Creating A Lean Culture, in person and had a chance to hear him speak and to speak with him at length. As I've mentioned before, his book is outstanding and has really been having a positive impact on folks in healthcare who are working to move from "Lean project" to "Lean culture."

Today, I was able to meet and talk with David Meier, another friend of the blog, sometimes poster, and co-author (with Jeff Liker) of The Toyota Way Fieldbook and the upcoming Toyota Talent. I was fortunate to read a preview copy of Toyota Talent and I'm sure it will be a very useful addition to the lean library. I'll try to post a formal review ASAP.

Both Davids were generous with their time and their thoughts, which I appreciate. I'd encourage you to check out their Podcasts (linked to their names above) and their books.

Liker: Auto Suppliers Still Not Lean

Lean Blog: LeanBlog Podcast #3 -- Dr. Jeffrey Liker

I hope you have listened to the LeanBlog Podcasts. I'm surprised that they haven't generated more comments and questions from listeners. In my third Podcast, the first one with Jeff Liker, there was a provocative comment... maybe nobody disagrees with it.

Back in 2000, Dr. Liker was quoted as saying "50% of auto suppliers are talking lean, 2% are actually doing it." I got a lot of mileage out of that quote in presentations from 2002 to 2004 and still referenced it this year. Before the podcast interview, I asked Dr. Liker to confirm he had said that, as I didn't have the original citation/source in front of me.

"It sounds like something I would have said." -- Jeff Liker.

So, on the podcast, I asked Dr. Liker how those numbers would be different here in 2006 (it was about six minutes into the podcast). I've been away from the auto industry, I don't really know anymore. His answer:

"Today I would say that well over 90 percent are talking about it and have talked about it. I would say that almost all of them that talked about it have done something. They've done some individual projects, they've hired consultants, they've done projects in individual plants. They've done kaizen workshops. They've kind of learned the words and they've seen some results. I would say the number that have deeply implemented the Toyota Production System, as a system, in their plants is probably below 2 percent."

Wow. It's disappointing that there hasn't been an improvement over the span of six years, with all of the consultants, all of the talk, all of the books. Does anyone disagree with Liker's assessment? Click "comments" to chime in.

Liker continued:

"What they've done is used individual tools in individual places. Occasionally, there's a plant manager who really has a good feel, that drives it through the whole plant, does a great job. They leave the company. The plant reverts back to what it was.

If you were to try to find a model supplier that really has TPS broadly across their plants, it's hard to find."

It sounds like he is pointing blame at the lack of leadership and real committment at the highest levels. If lean/TPS efforts can fall apart so easily after a Plant Manager leaves, you would have to presume that Lean wasn't a priority for higher levels... or the leadership was just ineffective.

We could do a "5 Why's" Challenge. Another type of comment you could post here is a 5 Why's analysis for a failed lean effort that you've seen. Maybe we'll come up with a prize for the best attempt or best comment.

I'm also taking a fresh stab at the "Lean Failures" blog that I set up last year -- take a look and feel free to share your experiences and tips there.

LeanBlog Podcast #4 -- Dr. Jeff Liker, Part 2, Lean Healthcare

Here is LeanBlog Podcast #4, again featuring Dr. Jeffrey Liker, Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineerring at the University of Michigan. Dr. Liker is very well known in the lean world and is a leader in studying Toyota's own practices and management approaches. More information about Dr. Liker and his books can be found in the show notes, below. The first part of his podcast can be found here.

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

You can use the player (use the VCR-type controls) below to listen to a "streaming" version of the podcast (or click here for the streaming audio and RSS subscription). The streaming link is faster for one-time listening (hardly any delay to start listening). Or you can use the download link to put it on your iPod or other MP3 player.


MP3 File (17.82 meg)
Right-Click to "Save As"

LeanBlog Podcast #4 Show Notes and Approximate Timeline

• 1:28 Dr. Liker's comments on lean healthcare at the University of Michigan and their 5-day certificate program
• 2:03 Dr. Liker visited Toyota's own hospital last year and they are just starting to implement lean and the "Toyota Way" at "Toyota Memorial Hospital"
• 2:53 "Hospitals are often a complete mess, lack of organization."
• 3:50 "A lot of a hospital is just a huge material flow system... and it's done really badly."
• 5:08 Can also look at patient "value streams"
• 5:15 Can eliminate 80-90% of the waste (waiting) from a patient perspective
• 5:48 How the American Heart Association used the Toyota Product Development System
• 6:28 Why doctors are afraid that "standardized work" might stifle their actual work, "it's really about becoming a learning organization"
• 7:48 How healthcare professionals can be open to principles (lean principles) rather than being told what to do
• 9:33 Why Toyota has "mechanized the routine tasks" -- to free people up for problem solving
• 10:48 Workarounds and problem solving in healthcare
• 13:03 How simple, visual tools helped
• 13:28 What kind of consulting or advising does Dr. Liker do for those who might want to contact him? Keynote speeches, conferences, leadership workshops and vision setting. His firm, Optiprise, does more detailed consulting work.
• 15:29 The Toyota Product Development System (with Jim Morgan) is a new book that came out a few months back. Currently working on a new book with David Meier (co-author of the Toyota Way Fieldbook), called "Toyota Talent," about how Toyota develops their people. It is part of what will be a series of books. The book will come out next year.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

LeanBlog Podcast #3 -- Dr. Jeffrey Liker

Here is the third LeanBlog Podcast, featuring Dr. Jeffrey Liker, Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineerring at the University of Michigan. Dr. Liker is very well known in the lean world and is a leader in studying Toyota's own practices and management approaches. More information about Dr. Liker and his books can be found in the show notes, below.

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

You can use the player (use the VCR-type controls) below to listen to a "streaming" version of the podcast (or click here for the streaming audio and RSS subscription). The streaming link is faster for one-time listening (hardly any delay to start listening). Or you can use the download link to put it on your iPod or other MP3 player.

MP3 File (24.75 meg)Right-Click to "Save As" Part 2 of the interview (Podcast #4) can be found here.

LeanBlog Podcast #3 Show Notes and Approximate Timeline

• 1:45 What originally got Liker into studying Toyota -- product development and supplier interaction.
• 3:58 Liker: "What do you see when you go on a tour? You see the factories. The see the factory's cleaner, it's better organized, the workers seem to be working hard an very engaged... so what Americans saw was really on the surface, so what they copied was on he surface."
• 5:06 Are people working on less surfacy issues now? Liker talks about the move toward "lean enterprise."
• 6:08 Back in 2000, Liker was quoted as saying "50% of auto suppliers are talking lean, 2% are actually doing it." How do you think those numbers have changed today?
• 7:18 Liker: "What they've done is used individual tools."
• 8:02 What about companies who claim to "implement" lean in 13 weeks?
• 8:33 Liker discusses how Toyota develops leaders in advance of opening a new plant. How long will it take the new San Antonio plant to become a true lean factory?
• 10:58 Can you pick and choose which of the Toyota Way 14 points that you use?
• 11:08 Liker discusses mixed feelings about "creating your own system," good in theory, but the risk is you just pick and choose isolated practices. The goal really is to become a learning organization.
• 13:18 Liker: "We're not putting in the kanban system to eliminate inventory." Liker discusses the balance between short-term gains and building a lean learning culture
• 16:03 Liker uses the phrase "Genchi Genbutsu" (or "go and see")
• 16:08 Do you sometimes have to drag senior management out to the shopfloor?
• 17:22 Liker discusses how finance-driven companies drive metrics that interfere with lean. How has Toyota worked to set up an accounting system that supports the Toyota Production System?
• 20:28 Are there other Toyota Way Principles that companies struggle with?
• 22:33 Liker uses the phrase "hansei" (or "reflection").
• 24:03 Why Toyota thinks you can't "implement a perfect lean system."

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Here is an amazon.com link to Dr. Liker's books and in particular:

• The Toyota Way
• The Toyota Way Fieldbook (with David Meier)
• The Toyota Product Development System (with James Morgan)
  

Dr. Liker's consulting firm, Optiprise, can be found here.

Upcoming Podcast: Jeffrey Liker

Exciting news, I'm going to record a LeanBlog Podcast interview with Dr. Jeffrey Liker, of the University of Michigan and "The Toyota Way" fame. The interview will be Friday morning, Aug 25.

Update: Here is the podcast.

If you have any burning questions that you'd like me to ask Dr. Liker on your behalf, please email me before noon EDT Thursday using the link on the left hand side of the blog (or your post your question here using the "Comments" feature) and I'll try to work your question into the discussion.

Check out my first two podcasts with Norman Bodek.

Jeff Liker Webcast Archive Online

Event Registration (EVENT: 22786)

Here is the archive of the Industry Week webcast from last week featuring Jeff Liker, author of The Toyota Way. You have to register through Industry Week, but they will let you download the slides.

"Siren Song" alert -- the 2nd half of the webcast is from a software company.

There was one comment made, by the moderator from Industry Week, that I didn't like. She repeated the cliche of:

"You can change the workers or you can CHANGE the workers," meaning that you can either A) influence them or lead them to change their behavior or B) get rid of them and get new workers.

I think this is a disrepectful comment. I'm particularly sensitive about people making disparaging comments about the "lowest" level in the organization. Lean failures are hardly ever the fault of production workers (if you know of a case, please email me). Lean success is the result of good leadership, combined with adoption of lean concepts and tools. Lean failures have to be traced back to management, at some level.

Am I more comfortable saying, "You can change your CEO or you can CHANGE your CEO"? Yes. I'm also more comfortable using that kind of discussion about middle managers and front-line supervisors. It's hard to generalize, but I bet that level is often the layer where lean committment is the weakest, where people are defending the status quo.

What do you think?

Professor's book wins 2 awards

Click for Article

Congratulations to Dr. Jeffrey Liker for the awards his book The Toyota Way has won. Has your organization made use of the Toyota Way concepts? Are there many un-read copies sitting on managers desks? What have you learned from this book?