Virtual Lean Book Club

Focus:  Pages 287-300 (Conclusion: Looking Back and Looking Forward)

Discussion Topics: 

• How did you meet Mr. Yoshino? How did you establish this mentorship turned friendship?
• Where did the warp and weft concept originate? If willing to share what is yours and has it changed over time?
• How has the book help defined and develop your warp and weft threads? 
• Do you think that Isao’s leadership style is the norm or the exception in Japan? There were many comments in the book about other Toyota leaders that did not seem to have the same leadership philosophy as Isao.
• How can individuals contribute to culture change?
• Many US companies have been on Lean Journeys for decades. What is your opinion of why we still go to Japan to “go to Gemba” instead of being able to use US companies as our models of Lean Excellence?
• What was your biggest takeaway from the book?  What leadership habit will you change or start are a result of reading the book?
• Tell us about your experience in Japan.

Focus:  Pages 221-286 (Reflecting on Failure, Phase #1 through #4 )

Discussion Topics: 

• What do you think of the idea of the "leadership partnership" in Phase 3? What could have been another way of approaching the leadership in this new division?
• What is the impact of senior leaders micromanaging instead of macromanaging?
• What do you think about Yoshino’s perspective about failure as a source of learning?
• How does your company practice Hansei? How does it learn?
• When have you encountered a situation in which you had shared authority for decision-making?  How did this work? What did you learn?
• How do leaders make decisions at your organization? What is more typical by instinct and feeling or facts and processes?
• What is your experience with leaders who have had a more “dictatorial” style?  What impact has their behavior or approach had on you? On the team? On the product of service the team provides?
• When is a time you have had to work through influence rather than authority? What have you found to be most effective when you have tried to influence culture change or behavior of a colleague?

Focus:  Pages 190-20 (Case Study #3 and #4)

Discussion Topics: 

• What are your thoughts on the statement "Few people have the tenacity, patience, and discipline to chase a dream for as long as Yoshino chased his aspiration of living and working in the US"?
• What are some actions that might not be "necessary" for your role, but could be meaningful for your people?
• Think back to a time when you shifted your mindset from negative to positive. What helped you do this? What was the outcome?
• Think back to your experience with a leader who truly cared about your development. What impact?
• Do you have a leadership credo? What is your leadership credo? How would this help you as a leaders?
• Which of the P.S. from Mr. Yoshino" essays resonate the most with you? Why?

Focus:  Pages 133-189 (Case Study #1 and #2)

Discussion Topics: 

• Setting measurement targets when the measurement system is not obvious. What do you think about Yoshino’s measurement targets for the NUMMI training program?
• Views on the subject of "how long does it take to learn?" and the decision to have the Kan-Pro program to be for a 2-year time frame.
• What are the ways you can be flexible first when working with others?

Focus:  Pages 105-132 (Part II, Lessons 5 through 8 ) 

Discussion Topics: 

• As a leader what is your role as it relates to supporting other people to complete their assignments or meet their targets?
• Validating the data with facts was a critical part of doing proper and complete thinking. Did you ever find something different after going to gemba? How did it change you as a leader?
• What has been your experience when a manager who has all of the answers?  What was your reaction when this person told you what to do and how to do it?
• What are some things that you have learned that you don’t want to be as a leader?  How have the help you define who you do want to be?
• Why as a leader or coach is it important to ask questions rather than just tell people what to do when you believe you know the answer.
• What is communicated by what leaders don’t say?
• In what ways have small things by leaders made an impact at your company or in your life?

Focus:  Pages 69-104 (Part II, Lessons 1 through 4)

Discussion Topics: 

• "Monozukuri wa hitozukuri,” which means “we make things though making people.” How do you as a leader support others to learn and grow - helping people learn how to think more deeply to solve problems and achieve their goals?
• What kind of orientation does your company provide? What does the welcome and entry into a new company signify?
• Think of a time when you made a mistake at work. What did you do? How did your managers or others around you react?  
• What are some influential people in your chain of learning? What did they do to go out of their way to help you learn to learn and learn to lead? 
• Going to gemba differs from traditional western management of “Management by walking around.”   Why is it important to have a clear purpose before “going to gemba”? What is your purpose when you go see? 

Focus:  Read Part 1, page 1-66 (Part I)

Discussion Topics: 

• What are your warp and weft threads? How have you used this fabric concept as a leader?
• Mr. Yoshino knew his warp thread early in life.  Did you know this as a leader at a young age? Has it changed?
• As a leader, how have you set the direction and issued a clear challenge, goal, or target for your people? What have you learned, and what would you do differently?
• “Fall down seven times, get up eight.” It took Mr. Yoshino over 20 years to achieve his goals. How do we learn and teach patience and persistence?
• Impact of Japanese culture vs American culture/impact of the differences in generations as it relates to patience and desire to learn.
• Respect for People. A Toyota engineer was recruited by a "Tier-1 supplier to the automotive OEMs." He was to assist in the implementation of "The Toyota Way." He recommend to respect the team leaders -- their direct reports should be reduced from about 15 to maximum 5 production workers per team leader. The ex-Toyota engineer was not listened to; he left before long. He said, "There is no respect for people in this company; the team leaders are set up to fail if they have 15 direct reports." What challenges do you face in showing respect to people?