Much has been written about the "trials of Toyota" some years
back and this disaster will be studied in management schools for
years to come. But you and I don't have time to wait!
You and I run small businesses and, for many of us, these
are tough times. The economy is slow and even customers who
have money are shy about parting with it. Loans are few and
hard to get. Cutting expenses conflicts with spending more
on advertising or even investing in cost-cutting technology.
Times are tough for millions of small and medium-size
businesses and the last thing we need is a "Toyota moment!"
Obviously, smart people will analyze what went wrong but two
lessons seems clear to me:
1. Performance counts. Whether it's safety or quality,
keeping our promises, showing up on time, or going
the "extra mile," business is about integrity! I get very
tired of folks who say business is about ripping people off
or taking advantage of the customer. Nothing is further from
the truth and Toyota proves it. Good business requires
absolute and total honesty. Performance counts! Keep your
promises, every time.
2. Fix mistakes immediately. No matter how hard we try,
eventually something goes wrong. Someone drops the ball,
forgets a vital ingredient, misses a meeting, or makes the
wrong decision. It happens. The key is knowing it's going to
happen eventually and having fool-proof SYSTEMS to deal with
it when it does.
Tom Peters wrote long ago that the most successful companies
are not the most organized or most rule-bound. Quite the
opposite! Successful companies are honest, open, truth-
telling enterprises and they are responsive! They catch
mistakes early (and often!). They fix them! They take care
of the customer.
And so should you. I'm convinced the best and most
profitable businesses are entirely focused on the customer.
They tell the truth, keep their promises, and when mistakes
happen, they clean up the mess!
years to come. But you and I don't have time to wait!
You and I run small businesses and, for many of us, these
are tough times. The economy is slow and even customers who
have money are shy about parting with it. Loans are few and
hard to get. Cutting expenses conflicts with spending more
on advertising or even investing in cost-cutting technology.
Times are tough for millions of small and medium-size
businesses and the last thing we need is a "Toyota moment!"
Obviously, smart people will analyze what went wrong but two
lessons seems clear to me:
1. Performance counts. Whether it's safety or quality,
keeping our promises, showing up on time, or going
the "extra mile," business is about integrity! I get very
tired of folks who say business is about ripping people off
or taking advantage of the customer. Nothing is further from
the truth and Toyota proves it. Good business requires
absolute and total honesty. Performance counts! Keep your
promises, every time.
2. Fix mistakes immediately. No matter how hard we try,
eventually something goes wrong. Someone drops the ball,
forgets a vital ingredient, misses a meeting, or makes the
wrong decision. It happens. The key is knowing it's going to
happen eventually and having fool-proof SYSTEMS to deal with
it when it does.
Tom Peters wrote long ago that the most successful companies
are not the most organized or most rule-bound. Quite the
opposite! Successful companies are honest, open, truth-
telling enterprises and they are responsive! They catch
mistakes early (and often!). They fix them! They take care
of the customer.
And so should you. I'm convinced the best and most
profitable businesses are entirely focused on the customer.
They tell the truth, keep their promises, and when mistakes
happen, they clean up the mess!
In 2018 Toyota Corolla brand was the only car brand that ever
sold 40 million units.
No comments:
Post a Comment