Toyota

Here's a headline we see more and more -- Toyota recalls 700,000 vehicles in US amid safety concerns.

Do you remember when books on Japanese business practices were all the rage? Do you remember when Japan was going to "take over the world" with their HARD WORK, business "smarts", and organizational skills? When folks talked about the "hard working Japanese", did anyone mention the fact they had about 50 or so Holidays per year? So, they worked six days a week -- except for holidays. Did anyone ever mention they also basically closed down the country for two or so weeks every year at the end of April? But in the USA we were told "they never took vacations". Didn't anyone ever wonder how so many Japanese tourists could all descend on N.Y. or LA at the same time?

Were you working when all sorts of American business leaders suggested various and sundry "excellence exercises", meetings, seminars, etc., etc., etc.? -- all MANDATORY. All telling you how YOU WERE SUB PAR -- and had to WORK HARDER!! While at the very same time, supervisors would also say stuff like, "don't work harder, work SMARTER". We all knew that meant -- work harder!!

A lot of this was due to the fact our Japanese friends were building BETTER CARS than the USA did.

The fact most of our automobile woes were due to LAZY, INCOMPETENT, MANAGEMENT, and low expectations on the part of Ford, GM, and Chrysler, was never mentioned. All the blame fell on The Unions. It was part of the "blame the American worker" drive spearheaded by The Republican Party.

So, "Japanese Management Techniques" fell out of favor -- but the attempt to get more free labor from workers did not. Management used the same old ploys, the same old crap -- demanding more time, with less pay.

Of the firms I worked for that pulled this crap -- all went out of business. They replaced their productive labor force for CHEAPER, less skilled people - and suffered for it.

In a sense they were victims of their own propaganda. When they replaced skilled workers with "rookies" they forgot that meant greater oversight was needed -- that THEY would have to work harder. Result -- death spiral, they circled the drain.

If you institute "quality circles", someone has to get the feedback, test for practicality, and put the suggestions into practice. That means more work on the part of different levels of management. If that is not done -- it's just a form of masturbation.

Oh yeah, you also have to actually LISTEN TO THE WORKERS -- "they're not just for blaming anymore".

It seems the Japanese car folks are falling prey to the same problems.

In some ways, it is easier to STRIVE to get better than it is to stay there at the very top.

It's like a restaurant -- once there, it's harder to maintain the same level of quality.

So, over the last 3 years Toyota has recalled over 10,000,000 (TEN MILLION) vehicles. I guess they are not foolproof either.