Lean Quote: Yokoten – Sharing to Multiply Success

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"An improvement isn’t complete until it is shared."   —  Ryan Tierney

In Lean, Yokoten means sharing improvements and best practices “across everywhere” so others can benefit. At Toyota, this isn’t just copying—it’s going, seeing, learning, and then adapting ideas to fit your own environment.

When you improve something but keep it to yourself, the benefit stops with you. Sharing multiplies the value. Like planting seeds from one healthy tree into many places, Yokoten spreads good ideas so they take root in different situations, each growing in its own way.

Most organizations have untapped knowledge. Yokoten turns that knowledge into an organizational asset, not just an individual one. It requires effort on both sides—those who have the knowledge must share it, and those who receive it must be willing to learn and adapt.

Why it matters:

• Prevents valuable lessons from being lost.
• Helps others avoid mistakes you’ve already solved.
• Speeds up improvement across the company.
• Sparks new ideas and innovation.

How to put Yokoten into action:

• Leaders: Visit teams, recognize great work, and require others to “go see.”
• Managers: Showcase successful projects and invite peers to learn.
• Teams: Study examples from others and adapt them for your own work.
• Everyone: Add “share your improvement” to your checklist.

An improvement that isn’t shared is only half-finished. In a Lean culture, success isn’t just making something better—it’s helping others make it better too.