Mike is executive director for the Center for Quality People & Organizations (CQPO), an organization developed in 1999 as a vision of Toyota Motor Manufacturing to share Lean quality philosophy and human resource practices with education, business, and community organizations. He is also an adjunct professor with the University of Kentucky’s Center for Manufacturing, the University of Dayton’s Center for Competitive Change, and a member of the faculty of Lean Enterprise Institute. Prior to CQPO, Mike was a corporate leader for 13 years at Toyota Motor Manufacturing’s Georgetown, Kentucky plant, both in Human Resources and Manufacturing. Mike is the co-author of Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way. He currently supports organizations with Lean culture transformations focusing on the roles of executive management and human resources and how the quality people value stream connects to the production value stream.
How to Create a System of People Willing and Able to Solve Problems
Many companies embarking on a Lean journey become frustrated with kaizen events and isolated improvement projects that yield great short-term results but have limited sustainability. They are searching for something more: the culture of continuous improvement with its philosophy, processes, and people aligned to cultivate problem solving. Aligning your organization around purpose within a Lean leadership system can leverage the power of the entire organization, not just a few leaders. Learn how to use the Lean work system and its process to create a management development system for your company that will engage leaders daily at all levels to develop your people as problem solvers. This presentation will describe how to create a system of people who are willing and able to solve problems.