TRANSLATOR’S NOTES AND INSIGHTS

Many times managers ask, “How can we sustain Lean?” This book points out the need to adopt a management mindset throughout the organization, starting with management. It provides anecdotes and practical steps to ensure that both the mindset and the purpose behind well-known techniques associated with the Toyota Production System (TPS) are understood and considered during implementation.

A number of books have been written about Ohno. Anecdotes such as being told to stand in one spot, fast changeovers, and the like are plentiful. His style of management could be considered dictatorial and bombastic, but beyond the mannerisms, there are basic, overarching principles that we find very useful.

By his strength of character, Ohno demonstrates the role that the leader must play at every level of management. Integrity, example/coaching, engagement at the floor level, risk taking and willingness to experiment to find better ways, and never being defensive about confronting problems are characteristics that can be found throughout the book. Neither providing solutions nor telling people what to do was his mode of operation. But he was never shy about confronting reality. He demonstrated that the people at the grassroots level have the capability to arrive at solutions.

This book was originally written for a Japanese audience, so it is written from a Japanese viewpoint. I have translated it the way it was written to keep the integrity of the book, and I have been careful not to edit things into or out of the original text. However, on occasion, I have added my own comments or clarifications as a Lean consultant who is living in Japan and has worked in many other countries as well. Hopefully, the comments will help drive home the truth that is written in this book, a truth that we can all use.

When I was first approached to translate this book, it started out as more of doing a favor for a friend. Once I met Mr. Harada, however, I knew that I wanted to dig deeper into what he was trying to say. Conversations with a Toyota manager that included “I hate stopwatches” and “Let them have as much inventory as they want” were intriguing, to say the least. As I started translating the book and started the e-mail flow between Takehiko and myself on concepts or the historical background to what he was saying, many things started to make sense. I realized that I had in fact picked up “fake Lean” concepts that I had had a problem with emotionally, but that I had never really had them articulated the way Harada explained them.

Looking back, I have to say that translating this book has been a sheer pleasure. The amount of time I spent on it, along with my many meetings and conversations with Mr. Harada, have truly been educational, and I have so appreciated Mr. Harada’s willingness to spend his time with me and to discuss in detail the stories behind the episodes and the principles embedded in them.

Some of the areas that I had problems with were phrases like, “In the West, they don’t care,” or, “In Japan, we think differently.” While I translated what was written word for word, it was sad to see that our Western culture is seen as “selfish” and “money before people”—both concepts that are viewed with contempt in Japan. This, unfortunately, looks more and more true for those companies that are doing Lean “just for the numbers.” The phrase “profit comes after focusing on flow,” which can be translated as “profit is a leftover after pursuing flow,” really has deep meaning.

Personally, one of the greatest gems or confirmations for me in translating this book has been the absolute confirmation that biblical values are totally in line with what makes logical sense in creating a vibrant workplace. I had always known this intrinsically, but now I had authoritative backing. I think readers who grew up with values such as “do the right thing” or “love your neighbor as yourself,” but then find that the workplace they are thrust into is not living these values, can take heart. It is possible.

Over the years, I’ve become a true believer that the results of Lean always need to be both better numbers and more smiles. Mr. Harada has certainly underlined that concept with this book, and on behalf of the whole Lean community, I thank him for it.