Page 272 - The Toyota Way Fieldbook

248 THE TOYOTA WAY FIELDBOOK

look. We asked Mary to describe some of the important points of the job. With
a shocked expression, Mary said, “I just started here today, and I really don’t
know.” This was not a problem because there was another employee working
right beside her, and we assumed this must be the person responsible for train-
ing. We asked Mary, “Would your coworker know?” to which Mary replied, “She
just started yesterday!” In fact, we often find a person with very little experience
(skill level, knowledge of the product and quality expectations, and safety aspects)
“teaching” another worker. It’s hardly a surprise, then, when employees tell us,
“Everyone has their own way” of performing the work.
We wonder how something as crucial to the success of an organization as
the transfer of knowledge and skills can be treated so lightly. Why has an atti-
tude developed that it’s acceptable for people to pick up the necessary skills “with
time”? When we confront leaders about problems in the work area, we’re often
told that “it takes time to learn, and normally people learn within a few months.”
Meanwhile, the problems continue every day, and they wait patiently for the
day when the person finally gets it. Of course, if the person never does “get it,”
they are labeled as a poor worker, or a troublemaker, and the leader is stuck
with a problem that won’t go away. The leader will say, “I tried to tell them, but
they didn’t listen. They have their own way to do things.” Of course they do!
Without effective training and coaching, people will develop their own method,
and it will most likely not be the “preferred” method (as in “my way”).
Some common methods used for training include:

◆ The “sink or swim” method. This is an old-time classic that is actually used
in some cases to “teach” swimming. The student is thrown into the water,
and if they make is out alive they have learned to “swim.” Unfortunately, it
is commonly used at work as well. We have actually had employees tell us,
“I had to learn the hard way, they should too!”
◆ The “give them time and they will learn” method. This is based on giving
the new hire time to figure out how to do the job and to get better at it. It
is related to the sink or swim because the person has not completely
drowned yet, and if their head is above water, they will make it.
Unfortunately, you will continue to pay the price of poor performance
while they “learn.”
◆ The “microwave” method. Thirty seconds and they’re done! The training
usually goes something like this: “First do this, then do this, then do that.
Any questions?” (We often observe the “microwave” method with inter-
nal lean coordinators. Send them to a 1-2 week training class and they are
“fully prepared” as a lean expert).
◆ The “find the best worker and follow him around” method. Unfortunately,
the “best worker” may not be a good trainer. They may not want this
responsibility. The other problem with this method is that there is no
structure outlined. How do you know that the “trainer” is doing the work