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Friday, September 26, 2025

Lean Quote: If You Want to Be Interesting, You Have to Be Interested

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.


"You have to be interested. If you’re not interested, you can’t be interesting.  —  Iris Apfel

I think the quote works on two levels. When you become more interested in other people—actively listening to them and engaging with them—they’ll see you as more interesting.

This saying highlights a fundamental principle of social interaction: genuine curiosity about others is more appealing than trying to be the center of attention. By actively listening and showing interest in what others have to say, you create a more engaging and positive experience for everyone involved, ultimately making you more likable and memorable.

Try these easy techniques to be more interested:

Focus on Others

When you're genuinely interested in others, you shift the focus away from yourself and onto them. This makes them feel valued and heard, which is a powerful way to build rapport and create connections.

Active Listening

Being interested involves actively listening to what others say, asking follow-up questions, and showing that you're engaged in the conversation. This demonstrates attentiveness and thoughtfulness.

Positive Feedback Loop

When you show interest in others, they are more likely to reciprocate and become interested in you. This creates a positive feedback loop where both parties feel valued and engaged.

Learning and Growth

Being interested also allows you to learn from others, expand your knowledge, and gain new perspectives. This continuous learning makes you more interesting in the long run.

Building Stronger Relationships

When you prioritize genuine interest over self-promotion, you build stronger and more meaningful relationships with others. This is because people are drawn to those who make them feel seen, heard, and appreciated.

In essence, the quote encourages us to cultivate a mindset of curiosity and empathy, which leads to more engaging and rewarding social interactions.


Thursday, August 7, 2025

Lean Quote: Eiji Toyoda's Respect for People

Eiji Toyoda’s Legacy: Respect for People in the Toyota Production System

On Fridays, we reflect on powerful Lean quotes that help us pause, learn, and grow. Words from visionary leaders don’t just inspire—they remind us of the foundational principles that drive long-term success.

This week’s quote comes from Eiji Toyoda, one of the most influential figures in modern manufacturing and a key architect of what we now know as the Toyota Production System (TPS):

"…employees are offering a very important part of their life to us. If we don’t use their time effectively, we are wasting their lives."
Eiji Toyoda, Former President and Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation

This quote isn’t just motivational—it defines one of the core Toyota Production System principles: Respect for People. Toyoda’s philosophy highlights a truth often forgotten in traditional management: time is life, and wasting it is disrespectful.


What Is the Toyota Production System (TPS)?

The Toyota Production System is a manufacturing philosophy that aims to eliminate waste, improve quality, and maximize customer value. TPS forms the backbone of modern Lean manufacturing practices worldwide.

Key Historical Milestones of TPS:

Year

Milestone

1937

Toyota Motor Corporation founded

1948

Taiichi Ohno joins Toyota and begins experimenting with process improvements

1950s

Post-war shortage leads Toyota to focus on efficiency over mass production

1960s

TPS formalized with Just-in-Time (JIT) and Jidoka (automation with a human touch)

1970s

Eiji Toyoda and Taiichi Ohno solidify Kaizen, standardized work, and respect for people

1980s

Western manufacturers begin adopting TPS practices, leading to the birth of Lean Manufacturing


TPS vs Lean Manufacturing: Understanding the Difference

While the terms TPS and Lean Manufacturing are often used interchangeably, they’re not exactly the same. Lean manufacturing is an evolution of TPS principles, adapted for broader use across industries and cultures.

Aspect

Toyota Production System (TPS)

Lean Manufacturing

Origin

Developed internally at Toyota

Derived from TPS

Focus

Elimination of waste, respect for people, JIT

Waste elimination, flow efficiency

Tools

Kanban, Andon, Jidoka, Kaizen

5S, Value Stream Mapping, A3 Thinking

Culture

Deep-rooted in Japanese work culture

Adapted to global business environments

Philosophy

Human-centered and long-term

Sometimes tool-focused in practice


Embedding Lean Into Company Culture

Eiji Toyoda’s approach to leadership wasn’t about implementing tools—it was about embedding Lean into the company culture. The "Respect for People" pillar is what distinguishes Lean culture vs traditional culture.

Traditional Culture vs Lean Culture

Dimension

Traditional Culture

Lean Culture

Leadership

Top-down directives

Servant leadership, mentorship

Communication

Hierarchical, siloed

Open, cross-functional

Learning

Training is event-based

Continuous improvement mindset

Mistakes

Punished

Treated as learning opportunities

Employee Role

Execute tasks

Solve problems, drive innovation


Eiji Toyoda and the Cost of Wasted Time

Toyoda emphasized that inefficient workflows aren’t just bad for business—they’re disrespectful to the human beings doing the work. This mindset isn’t philosophical fluff. It’s backed by data.

Time Wasted at Work: Survey Insights

A global survey of over 100,000 employees in 2,000+ companies revealed shocking stats:

Metric

Percentage

Employees who say their company uses their time wisely

12%

Employees who frequently have to ask their manager what to do

51%

Employees who can’t find what they need to do their best work

71%

Employees who think an Xbox works better than their work tools

81%

💡 These statistics reflect a failure to apply TPS kaizen and continuous improvement in the workplace.


Respect for People = Respect for Time, Skills, and Growth

One of the least discussed but most crucial Toyota Production System principles is human development. It’s easy to invest in machines or software. It’s harder—but more valuable—to invest in people.

Key Ways to Practice “Respect for People” in TPS:

  • Provide clarity: Ensure every team member knows what adds value and what doesn’t.

  • Remove barriers: Give people the tools, data, and autonomy to solve problems.

  • Develop skills: Offer on-the-job and off-the-job training to unlock their full potential.

  • Engage in Kaizen: Allow employees to lead improvements through small, iterative changes.

  • Eliminate wasted effort: Streamline meetings, approvals, and workflows.


Final Thought: Respect Is the Foundation of Lean

In remembering Eiji Toyoda, we aren’t just honoring a man who lived to 100—we're honoring a philosophy that changed the world.

If you're serious about implementing Lean, start by embracing this mindset: Respect your people's time like it’s your most valuable resource—because it is. That’s not just good leadership. That’s Lean.


Quick Action Tip:

Want to avoid becoming one of the 88% of companies disrespecting their employees’ time?
Start your week with a Gemba walk—go to the place where work happens, ask questions, listen, and learn. Then act on what you hear.



See Mark Graban’s post: Eiji Toyoda, Credited with Developing TPS and Expanding Toyota into North America, Passes Away at 100 , Bill Waddell’s post: Eiji Toyoda – the Master Innovator , Jon Miller’s post: The Man Who Saved Kaizen, and Karen Martin’s post: Eiji Toyoda: A Consummate Leader (1913-2013) for more great tributes to Eiji Toyoda.


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Monday, August 4, 2025

The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation

Our good friend Mark Graban is celebrating two years since his Shingo Award-winning book, The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation, was published. To mark the second birthday of the book, he's offering a special paperback price: just $10.99 (regularly $19.95). This discount is available for a limited time. Check out my review below and get your copy now at Amazon.


We all make mistakes. That’s what makes us human but do we learn from them and how do they shape us to be who we are.

We all have a choice about how we react to our mistakes. We can ignore them and likely keep repeating or we can admit to them, think about what we expected to happen, and learn where we went wrong.

The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation written by Mark Graban dives into embracing and learning from mistakes and fostering a culture of learning and innovation.

I’ve known Mark for many years and this has been a passionate topic for a long time.  I follow him online especially the podcast series My Favorite Mistake which led to this book. He has authored many tremendous contributions regarding Lean and continuous improvement so when this came out it was on my must-read list.

The book is filled with relatable real life stories of many types of people in many different roles who have made mistakes and learned from them. He has organized them into 7 lessons. Each lesson overlaps and feeds into the next lesson.

Lesson 1 - Admit mistakes quickly and honestly. Coach, don't punish, those who report mistakes and use the knowledge you've gained to coach others so a mistake isn't repeated.

Lesson 2 - Be kind. Not the same as nice, kindness is less about forgiving and more about using mistakes as learning opportunities.

Lesson 3 - Prevent mistakes. As a lean student poke yoke is always in my mind. Once you learn use systems to prevent mistakes from reoccurring.

Lesson 4 - Help everyone speak up. This requires a culture change. But this really starts with those you lead.

Lesson 5 - Improve don't punish. Hiding rather than learning from mistakes out of fear is one of the biggest mistakes.

Lesson 6 - Iteration. In order to innovate and create something new you must iterate to see what works and doesn't work. Reminds me of the practice of coaching kata.

Lesson 7 - Cultivate forever. Don't try to emulate someone else. Use your desire to learn and coach up and down to drive through the organization.

In the book, you'll find practical guidance on adopting a positive mindset towards mistakes. It teaches you to acknowledge and appreciate them, working to prevent them while gaining knowledge from the ones that occur. Additionally, it emphasizes creating a safe environment to express mistakes and encourages responding constructively by emphasizing learning over punishment.

The Mistakes That Make Us is a must-read for anyone looking to create a stronger organization that produces better results, including lower turnover, more improvement and innovation, and better bottom-line performance. This book will inspire you to lead with kindness and humility and show you how learning from mistakes can make things right.

I really enjoyed learning from others’ mistakes and the positive lessons that came from them. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to change their perspective and their life for the better by cherishing the mistakes we make.

Note: The author, Mark Graban, provided an advance copy for the purpose of reviewing.









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