Page 290 - The Toyota Way Fieldbook

Chapter 11. Develop Exceptional Team Associates 265

later decide the job was not for them). It also gives employees a chance to “put
the shoe on the other foot” and appreciate what a leader must do. Then, even if
they never get a promotion, they have more respect for the role and its difficulties.

Personal Touch Creates Stronger Bonds
One program sponsored by Toyota is called “Personal Touch,” or PT. It is designed
to bring team members together during a non-work-related activity in hopes of
building stronger relationships. Toyota provides funds to each group (a specified
amount per person every quarter) to be used as seed money for activities or to
pay for them entirely. The activities are suggested on a monthly basis and can
be simple, such as a pizza lunch or a daylong trip to an amusement park (with
families) or event, a visit to a local restaurant, or even a charitable activity. Most
groups vary the activities in terms of cost and complexity. There are usually
people within the group that take the lead in planning activities, but the entire
group chooses the actual activity. There are some specific rules monitored by
the group leader. Certain activities, for instance, might be inappropriate and
cannot be sponsored by the company.
These activities are a good way to find out about people away from work and
to develop tighter bonds. Most people look forward to the monthly PT activity.

Invest in Skill in All Areas of the Company

The examples provided thus far have focused on repetitive production jobs, but
the same principles apply to all jobs across the company. The Toyota Way is
about behavior, which reflects attitudes. The emphasis on employee development
is always on the actual “doing” of the job or the actual “doing” of the process
improvement activity. It’s critical to take a similar approach to the training and
development of “professional” employees within the company.
If we closely examine the education and training of professionals, it starts with
a college education. Presumably, they learn the fundamentals about the science
of the profession, professional norms, and perhaps even professional ethics.
There is still much to learn, but the basic tools of the trade have been learned in
school. Then good companies provide a variety of opportunities for continuing
education. These can be specific training courses on the technology used in the
company (e.g., the computer system or personnel policies specific to the com-
pany). There may be a leadership or communication or problem-solving course
required of certain classes of employees. And employees are often encouraged
to go back to universities to update their skills on specific topics.
This is all well and good. But what specific training do individuals get on
how to perform their actual jobs? What specific training does the individual get
on how to improve processes in the company?