When I had the chance to go back to Japan last October with Honsha, there was a big focus on what the former Toyota people kept referring to as “a development company.” The meaning was that Toyota (and companies with similar performance) focus first and foremost on developing people. Many companies try to copy Lean tools or practices, but they don’t have the mindset of a “development company.” Is that why these organizations struggle with … Continue reading Toyota as a “People Development Company”