Today I want to share with you another book I read, though it’s not entirely about marketing, but rather about building a business as a whole. The book by Liker, J., Josephus, M.describes in detail the history of the world’s largest automaker Toyota.
I will tell you honestly, I’ve been reading “Toyota’s Corporate Culture” for more than one week. This is not a simple fiction, which can be “swallowed” in 1-2 evenings. On 350 pages, abundant with professional vocabulary, it is easy to get lost and does not always come out to cover the whole picture. I returned to some chapters several times to re-read and understand the essence of what was written. However, perhaps the book may seem quite easy and laid-back to some.
Why “Toyota’s Corporate Culture”?
Even though the book is not entirely about marketing, the choice was not random. I wanted to read it for a long time, because:
- This is a gigantic work and a detailed guide on conducting global business, shedding light on the riddles and secrets within the corporation.
- Toyota is one of the best enterprises with well-established processes.
- Toyota is a Japanese company with a very different corporate culture. In Japan, there is a different way of thinking, which can not be found in any country in the world.
Despite the abundance of facts and figures, I will not say that I was relieved after reading the last page. It is a very useful book for every business owner, whether it is a large corporation or a small company with 10 staff.
What is useful about “Toyota’s Corporate Culture”?
What did I really manage to find in the book? I managed to identify the main principles of the enterprise. It turned out there are fifteen of them and I will gladly sound them.
- You made a mistake – admit it.
- An employee of the company is the basis of all internal culture in the enterprise, regardless of his position and responsibilities.
- The goal of the company and its employees is long-term joint well-being.
- People are the only company’s asset that has only increased its value since its acquisition.
- Employees at Toyota are recruited for a lifetime.
- Very rigid, multi-stage personnel selection system.
- An effective system of adaptation and training of its employees.
- The main attention and support of staff is carried out both at work and beyond.
- The key organizational unit of Toyota is the group. Work in a company is a team game. There can be no individuality.
- The basis of the company is the safety of employees in the workplace.
- Communication and communication again. Inside the department, between groups, between group and management.
- Leaders and managers are different people. Toyota recruits and educates managers who become leaders.
- The career growth of managers is slow, but at the expense of internal employees, and not attracted from outside.
- At the core is Toyota’s lean manufacturing culture. This is the culture that has been introduced and applied for decades. In fact, this is the philosophy of the company and its leaders.
- Continuous improvement. It doesn’t matter which high results were achieved – you can’t stop.
These principles apply to Toyota’s car factory. Whether they are applicable in the conditions of Ukrainian realities – perhaps they are.
I wish good luck to you and your business. Develop, improve, and take advantage of the success stories of global businesses. They have a lot to learn from!