In The Toyota Engagement Equation book, the authors virtually walk you through their 30+ year gemba learning journey of discovery with Toyota as they grew with their people in North America. This deep dive into the company’s game-changing work practices (cultural infrastructure) reveals how people were developed to think differently.

The authors coach and develop learners at all levels and functional areas in:

GTS6 + E3 = DNA
GTS1 – Go to See
GTS2 – Grasp the Situation
GTS3 – Get to Solution
GTS4 – Get to Standardization
GTS5 – Get to Sustainability
GTS6 – Get to Stretch (goal)
E3 – It is important to Engage, Everyone, Everyday in this thinking above in order to create the DNA – Discipline and Accountability for the cultural infrastructure necessary for people develop/people first environment!

This thinking connects daily work to KPI’s (key performance indicators) cascading vertically through the organization (line of sight).
Through a few of these ideas you will see how Toyota developed this simple but profoundly effective approach into an overall management system―and how you can achieve amazing results in your company through the The Equation – GTS6 + E3=DNA is a way to replicate the thinking process!

About Tracey Richardson

Tracey Richardson, president/co-owner of Teaching Lean Inc., has over 32 years of experience in Toyota methodologies including:  Toyota Business Practices Problem Solving, Quality Circles, Lean Thinking, Standardized Work, Job Instruction Training, Toyota Production System, Toyota Way Values, Culture Development, Visualization (Workplace Management Systems), Continuous Improvement (Kaizen), Meeting Facilitation/Teamwork, and Manufacturing Simulations. 

  She is on the faculty at Ohio State University helping facilitate the Master Business Operational Excellence Program.  Her goal whether inside or outside of Toyota is to develop the capabilities of Team Members, Leadership, and Executives in Lean Thinking, that will align their role with the company business plan (Hoshin).   These capabilities are vital to sustain a positive relationship between Leadership and team members ensuring mutual trust and respect within the company (culture). Tracey is passionate about assisting Organizations or Companies who are on the “Lean learning journey” and wanting support implementing key elements for success.

Tracey is the author of the Shingo Publication Prize winning- The Toyota Engagement Equation – Understanding and Implementing a continuous thinking environment for any Organization.

About Ernie Richardson

Ernie has 32 years’ Manufacturing and Human Resources management which allows him to see the cultural dynamics from both functional areas of a company.  He is certified in The Toyota Way, Toyota Business Practices (8 Step Problem Solving), Standardized work, Visual Management, Strategy Deployment (Hoshin), Company culture/climate, and specializes in Toyota Production system thinking.

He joined Teaching Lean as a co-owner after his retirement from Toyota in Feb of 2013, to share his experiences learned from his people, Japanese trainers, coordinators and Executive Coordinators in order to assist other companies on their Lean journey.   He has over 1380 hours of classroom, practical training and Japan Gemba Training with a combined time of over 1-year total in Japan.    Ernie worked at IBM for 8 years before joining Toyota.    He is on the faculty at Ohio State University helping facilitate their Masters Business Operational Excellence program.

Ernie is the author of – The Toyota Engagement Equation – How to understand and implement continuous improvement thinking in any Organization