TL;DR: At Toyota, the principle is closer to “respect for humanity” than “respect for people” — and that difference matters. It’s not a slogan or a soft value. It is one of two equally important pillars of the Toyota Production System, alongside Continuous Improvement. It means valuing people’s ability to think, designing systems that fit human nature (including human fallibility), and challenging people to develop. Without it, Lean tools produce activity but not lasting improvement. … Continue reading Toyota’s Respect for People (or “Respect for Humanity”): The Heart of Lean Thinking