🥇 Kaizen System: Want to Build a Problem-Solving Culture? Try Managing from Within

The article insightfully analyzes how Toyota achieved an exceptional problem-solving culture through “managing from within.” The author, based on his fifteen-year experience at Toyota in North America and Japan, presents how collective responsibility for problem-solving is a key element of the company's success.

The example of the Toyota plant in Georgetown, Kentucky, shows how effective a suggestion system can be. Employees there submit over 90,000 suggestions annually, with 95% implemented changes leading to daily improvements. The author emphasizes that this success results from the incremental effort of every employee, which is the essence of a personal responsibility culture for problem-solving.

The author explains that introducing such a culture cannot be imposed top-down or delegated. It must be created by employees who feel the *“pull”* (ang. pull) toward achieving the common good and are ready to respond to problems instead of bypassing them. The article includes specific questions managers can ask to encourage employees to think and solve problems, such as *“What exact problem are you trying to solve?”* and *“Why is this happening?”*

The author compares Toyota's approach to traditional companies, where there is often a belief that only management has answers, and employees just execute tasks. In contrast, Toyota's culture encourages employees to take initiative and solve problems, leading to constant process improvement.

In the final part of the article, the author offers specific tips for managers who want to build a similar culture in their organizations. He recommends avoiding top-down solutions and supporting employees by asking questions and creating an environment where mistakes are accepted, and experimenting with improvements is encouraged. The author emphasizes that such an approach leads to better problem-solving and learning from mistakes, which is key to long-term success.

The article ends with a reflection on the potential impact of “managing from within” on business and operations, suggesting that focusing effort on eliminating problems instead of bypassing them can significantly improve efficiency and company results.