In the Lead – WSJ.com Maybe the whole Toyota notion of “respect for people” and developing employees is the real “secret” sauce that companies can’t copy (or refuse to). While not mentioning Toyota, this WSJ article caught my eye this…
Detroit Free Press Article Great quote and imagery here from Gary Convis: Gary Convis, the senior vice president of manufacturing in North America for Toyota Motor Corp., remembers well the first time he stepped into a Toyota plant. A former…
Here is an archived webinar with Jim Womack and John Shook, brought to us by the Lean Enterprise Institute, titled “Lean Management and the Role of Lean Leadership.” Here is a link to a text Q&A that Womack did with…
MercuryNews.com | 06/04/2006 | Toyota N. America marks a milestone Here is another article about Toyota’s Jim Press, who along with Gary Convis, represents Americans rising high within Toyota’s corporate structure. Later this month, Jim Press will become the first…
CEOs say how you treat a waiter can predict a lot about character I bet there is a corollary, I’ll propose it: “Blogger says how CEO’s treat hourly assembly personnel can predict a lot about lean success.” I agree with…
Hardwiring Excellence by Quint Studer As I continue my journey in lean healthcare, I’m enjoying the chance to learn about the cultures of healthcare organizations. One book I’ve started reading could easily apply to lean efforts in any setting. The…
So here’s a palate cleanser after talking about GM and the failed “lean” efforts that led to a strike at Conn-Selmer (see below). Here are two positive stories that prove lean doesn’t lean to unhappy workers and strikes. One is…
Detroit Free Press This is significant, in addition to an American, Gary Convis, running the Georgetown plant in Kentucky. “It’s not coincidental when Toyota is finally trumpeting its presence in American culture, claiming to be as American as any of…
Autofieldguide.com Here is a very long article (set of articles, really) on Toyota and TPS. It includes thoughts from Taiichi Ohno, Fujio Cho, and Gary Convis. I had previously heard that the phrase “Toyota Production System” itself wasn’t created until…
