The August 4, 2008 Nikkei Business Online article titled Top Engineer Explains How Toyota Develops People is an interview with Nanpachi Hayashi,
Hayashi began working with Taiichi Ohno in 1970 in developing the Toyota
Production System. What was it like to work with Mr. Ohno as a boss?
Hayashi: I was really afraid of Mr. Ohno when I was young. But I think he was developing thinking people. He never gave us the answer. When he gave us an assignment, he would just stand by and watch us fail, even if he knew the answer.
Taiichi Ohno would give his subordinates nearly impossible challenges. But from the moment he gave these challenges, Ohno himself would be thinking about the solution, so he followed up. Hayashi says that Ohno always came to see for himself the next day. When the solution was inadequate Ohno would yell "What is this?!" but this helped people recognize where their perspective had been inadequate. According to Hayashi, "Mr. Ohno scolded us after first making us really think and struggle, and this helped us to come to a deeper understanding."
Hayashi says, "Developing people requires physical endurance." Frequent follow up is necessary, in person. It is not acceptable to give an assignment and follow up or scold only after three months, during a progress report meeting. Specific actions and detailed follow up are necessary. Do
Hayashi reflects on how his teacher would follow up on one thing at a time, rather than multiple topics:
When Mr. Ohno came to the gemba he would only give one assignment, and he would always be back to check the next morning. It was scary, but it gave me peace of mind to know that he would be back to check.
This paragraph struck me as particularly impressive, and deserves to be translated in full:
Also, when we are required to deliver results with speed, we only give our subordinates small projects so that even if they fail they have time to recover. In the end, we give them the solution. We must firmly carry on the practice of developing thinking people. Mr. Ohno often said to us, "Don't look with your eyes, look with your feet. Don't think with you head, think with your hands." He also taught us, "People who can't understand numbers are useless. The gemba where numbers are not visible is also bad. However, people who only look at the numbers are the worst of all."
Those are two brilliant new quotes from Taiichi Ohno. Thank you again to Mr. Ohno and Mr. Hayashi for continuing the tradition of teaching us.
On the theme of the importance of follow up, Hayashi answers the question "What is the behavior required from management to develop thinking people?"
Perhaps not every time, but managers need to follow up by "random audit" at least one time in ten.
He tells the story of a time when Hayashi went to report progress to Mr. Ohno, and Ohno followed up by asking Hayashi, "Did you go see for yourself?" Hayashi responded, "Yes" even though he had not and had only presented a report received from the gemba. Mr. Ohno said, "Let's go to the gemba. Show me the real thing and explain it to me again." From then on Hayashi always checked for himself and only reported to Mr. Ohno what he had personally seen and understood.
Asked how
Hayashi likens it to Goldratt's "Goal" in that it can never be reached.
Another recent development at
They (temporary or contract labor) are increasing because it is not possible to rapidly hire the people needed, but reducing cost by hiring people so we can pay them less money to do the same work is not kaizen.
Hayashi recognizes that there are both people who prefer to work as contractors in several jobs, and those people who are term employees who participate actively in QC circles. The important thing, he says, is to develop shop floor leaders who can bring together such a diverse group.
Compared to the past, has the gemba at
Hayashi is encouraged that very few people at
These last few years have been good ones for
Taiichi Ohno said, "Your wits don't work until you feel the squeeze." Mr. Hayashi sees the latest economic slowdown as just the squeeze
Courtesy:http://www.gembapantarei.com/2008/08/toyotas_top_engineer_on_how_to_develop_thinking_pe.html
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