Book: The Toyota Way, 14 Management Principles from the World’s Greatest Manufacturer, Jeffrey K. Liker.

It was very interesting to learn more about the history of Toyota, and what makes it such a remarkable company.  

I absolutely love this illustration of the Toyota Way. There is such a strong tie with their way of thinking and doing things, and the elements that build strong reputations:

The foundation is built on their philosophy, this for me ties in incredibly closely to values; something which is the corner stone to any business’ success and reputation.

The importance of processes comes next. I love processes. Reputations are built on consistency. You are either consistently good or consistently inconsistent; either way you are building a reputation for yourself. Processes helps you to become consistent.

People and partners; having the right team and strategic alliances are also key to your success and your reputation. If you associate yourself with dodgy people and dealings, you will compromise your business and reputation.

Continuous improvement ~ the only way to grow is through continuous improvement. But you can only do that if you have the foundation of values, processes and people in place. 

I also particularly like the fact that the environment is very important to them. The Heart of the Toyota Production System: Eliminating Waste. 

Here are the 14 Management Principles:

Principle 1: Base your management decisions on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-term financial goals.

Principle 2: Create continuous process flow to bring problems to the surface.

Principle 3: Use “pull’ systems to avoid overproduction.

Principle 4: Level out the workload; work like the tortoise, not the hare.

Principle 5: Build a culture of stopping to fix problems, to get quality right the first time.

Principle 6: Standardized tasks are the foundation for continuous improvement and employee empowerment.

Principle 7: Use visual control so no problems are hidden.

Principle 8: Use only reliable, thoroughly tested technology that service your people and processes.

Principle 9: Grow leaders who thoroughly understand the work, live the philosophy, and teach it to others.

Principle 10: Develop exceptional people and teams who follow your company’s philosophy.

Principle 11: Respect your extended network of partners and suppliers by challenging them and helping them improve.

Principle 12: Go and see for yourself and thoroughly understand the situation.

Principle 13: Make decisions slowly by consensus, thoroughly considering all options; implement decisions rapidly.

Principle 14: Become a learning organisation through relentless reflection and continuous improvement.

Some of the technical aspects got a bit tedious. 

3/5