Leadership and Learning in Progressive Stages of Capability
Section 1: Introduction to Lean TPS Jishuken, Building Leadership through Structured Learning
Introduction
Leadership inside Lean TPS is learned through disciplined practice at the Gemba where real work occurs. My own development at Toyota BT Raymond, across North America, and through training connections to Toyoya L&F Takahama, Japan, confirmed that leadership maturity does not come from classroom instruction. It comes from structured study, real observation, and repeated practice. Toyota designed Jishuken as the method that brings these elements together. It creates a learning environment where leaders study, act, and reflect based on facts gathered at the point of work. This introduction explains how leadership capability grows through the progressive interaction of practice, reflection, and capability. It also describes why Lean TPS Jishuken forms the foundation of a Thinking People System where leadership and learning advance together.
Figure 1 – Inspiring Leaders to Drive Jishuken: Leaders develop capability through direct participation in structured study at the Gemba.
Building Leadership through Structured Learning
Jishuken is Toyota’s method for strengthening leadership capability through hands-on study of real work. The word combines Jishu, meaning self-motivated, with Ken, meaning study. It is learning through action. During my time with Toyota BT Raymond and while supporting operations across North America, Jishuken was never introduced as a training event. It was treated as a learning system that shaped how leaders see problems, interpret variation, and guide members through improvement.
Every Jishuken I participated in reinforced the same principle. You cannot understand a process from a report or a conference room. You must go and see the actual condition. Leaders were expected to stand at the worksite, observe flow, compare facts to standards, and work with teams to study causes. My early experiences assisting leadership teams in warehouses and manufacturing environments made this expectation clear. Jishuken was the anchor that connected management purpose to process reality. It developed capability in leaders and members at the same time.
Jishuken follows a consistent structure. Clarify the objective. Collect data. Analyze the current condition. Test countermeasures. Confirm results. This sequence makes learning measurable and repeatable. Over time, leaders sharpen their judgment, gain confidence in root cause analysis, and learn to coach through questions. The method does not rely on personality or intuition. It relies on disciplined study and verification.
Jishuken demonstrates that continuous improvement only works when continuous learning is present. Both depend on the discipline to observe, reflect, and act with respect for people. This is how Toyota links leadership growth with process performance in one integrated learning system.
Practice, Reflection, and Capability
Jishuken turns daily work into structured learning. Study boards, A3 reports, and Standardized Work charts make thinking visible so leaders and members can review analysis, actions, and results together. My work supporting Jishuken workshops showed how powerful this visibility can be. When a team compares facts to standards, variation becomes obvious. When countermeasures are tested and confirmed, confidence grows. When results are shared, learning becomes part of daily management.
The routine is strict. Go and see. Define the gap. Test countermeasures in controlled trials. Check the data. Standardize what worked. Teach the new method. Prepare the next study. This cadence prevents old problems from returning and develops leadership capability at the same time.
As this routine matures, leadership behavior changes. Leaders ask clearer questions because they have experience studying real conditions. They connect purpose to method because they have seen how processes behave. They develop others through coaching because they know learning requires participation, not instruction. Members gain confidence because improvement is verified and shared. Improvement becomes normal work, not a campaign.
Jishuken’s purpose inside Lean TPS is to develop thinking people and stable systems at the same time. My journey through Toyota environments demonstrated this repeatedly. Every study, every reflection session, and every coaching moment contributed to a leadership system built on facts, standards, and respect for people.
Section 2: The Lean TPS Global Jishuken Structure: Progressive Stages of Capability
Introduction to Kaizen
Kaizen represents the disciplined practice of continuous improvement at every level of the organization. It is not a one-time activity or a cost-reduction project. Within the Toyota Production System, Kaizen is a way of thinking and acting that develops people, stabilizes processes, and strengthens system flow. Each improvement becomes the new standard, and each standard becomes the base for further learning.
Toyota teaches that Kaizen cannot exist without Standardized Work. As Taiichi Ohno stated, “Where there is no standard, there can be no Kaizen.” Standardization provides the reference point to detect abnormalities, evaluate progress, and maintain consistent performance. Without a clear method, improvement becomes subjective and unsustainable.
Kaizen connects all elements of the Lean TPS system. It links 5S discipline, Standardized Work, Just-In-Time, and Jidoka into one integrated framework. By building capability in people, Kaizen turns operational challenges into learning opportunities. Through structured reflection, problem-solving, and teamwork, it transforms the workplace into a training environment that drives long-term stability and performance.
Kaizen is the difference between temporary fixes and lasting improvement. It develops judgment, discipline, and awareness through daily practice. This module introduces how Lean TPS builds a culture where every employee participates in problem-solving and leaders create systems that support continuous learning and prevention.
Figure 2: The Lean TPS Global Jishuken Structure: Learning progresses from local improvement to global collaboration through structured study and reflection.
Spot Kaizen and Quality Circles
At the base of the pyramid, Spot Kaizen and Quality Circles create the foundation for awareness and discipline. Each small improvement teaches employees to recognize waste, unsafe conditions, and variation at the Gemba. The purpose is not cost reduction but the habit of stopping, thinking, and improving before continuing work.
Quality Circles extend this discipline into teamwork. Members gather data, analyze causes, and measure results together. Participation builds confidence and teaches the link between observation and standards. Leaders support by confirming facts and coaching reflection, turning individual ideas into shared learning.
Departmental Jishuken
The second level represents cooperation across functions. Departmental Jishuken teams study where processes connect, identifying delays, imbalances, and unclear communication. Leaders and engineers verify data directly at the Gemba and use structured analysis such as time study, 5-Why, and cause-and-effect diagrams.
This level develops horizontal accountability. Maintenance, quality, logistics, and production join as equals to understand how their actions affect each other. Improvement becomes a shared responsibility that strengthens both process and relationships.
Plant-Wide Jishuken
Plant-Wide Jishuken integrates larger themes that cross departments. Topics often include material flow, equipment uptime, and leadership routines. Senior managers participate directly to guide study, confirm progress, and demonstrate that learning is a leadership responsibility.
Results appear both in measurable performance and in leadership maturity. Standards are clarified, visual controls improved, and reflection practiced openly. The factory becomes a visible learning environment where progress is confirmed through evidence.
Global Jishuken
At the top of the structure, Global Jishuken connects plants across regions. Teams share data, study results, and benchmark methods. Each site acts as both learner and teacher, exchanging ideas to strengthen consistency while respecting local conditions.
Executives join these studies to verify alignment and reinforce Respect for People on a global scale. The process promotes yokoten, or horizontal sharing of knowledge, ensuring that lessons learned in one location are transferred worldwide.
The Upward Spiral of Learning
The spiral at the side of the pyramid represents continuous progression. Learning in Lean TPS never ends; it moves upward through reflection and standardization. Each Jishuken builds upon the last, creating stability before advancing to the next challenge.
This spiral mirrors the Lean TPS 5P Model: Philosophy gives purpose, Process provides stability, People and Partners develop capability, Problem Solving refines understanding, and Progress sustains growth. Together they form a living system of leadership learning.
Conclusion
The Lean TPS Global Jishuken Structure shows that improvement and leadership are inseparable. From Spot Kaizen to Global Jishuken, every level teaches people to observe, analyze, and reflect. Each step builds capability and prepares the next generation of leaders. The pyramid represents not hierarchy but shared learning that rises through respect, reflection, and disciplined practice.
Section 3: The Lean TPS 5P Model: Connecting Leadership Learning inside Jishuken
Introduction
The Lean TPS 5P Model explains how Toyota integrates leadership development and process improvement into one learning system. During my time at Toyota BT Raymond and through Jishuken activities across North America, I saw how each study followed the same structure of Philosophy, Process, People and Partners, Problem Solving, and Progress. This model formed the base for how leaders were expected to think, act, and reflect at the Gemba. It linked leadership behavior to daily study and created consistency across teams, sites, and regions.
Figure 3: The Lean TPS 5P Model
The system of learning that connects Spot Kaizen to Global Jishuken through leadership participation and study.
The Meaning Behind the Model
The Lean TPS 5P Model defines the values and behaviors that connect Toyota Production System principles to leadership development. It shows that improvement cannot be separated from philosophy and that leadership maturity depends on how consistently these five dimensions are practiced. Each “P” represents a layer of discipline that supports the Thinking People System.
1. Philosophy: The Foundation of Respect and Responsibility
Philosophy defines shared purpose and long-term thinking. At Toyota, this means aligning every improvement activity with Respect for People and Continuous Improvement. Leaders are expected to model these values by making decisions that balance short-term performance with long-term growth.
Philosophy provides stability in times of change. When purpose is clear, teams can act with integrity and confidence. This shared belief system ensures that Jishuken learning remains focused on developing people rather than chasing temporary results.
2. Process: Building Stability for Learning
Process provides the framework for learning. Within Jishuken, leaders study actual work conditions to see how variation affects safety, quality, and flow. By observing and documenting the current condition, they establish the facts required for analysis.
Standardized Work and visual management form the base for process learning. Once a process is stable, improvement becomes scientific and measurable. When stability is lost, learning restarts at the Gemba until conditions are verified again.
3. People and Partners: The Human System of Collaboration
People and Partners form the living network of Lean TPS. Continuous improvement depends on mutual trust, open communication, and shared responsibility. Leaders develop capability by teaching and supporting others to think scientifically, not by issuing commands.
In Jishuken, members learn that progress is a collective outcome. Each department contributes insight and experience. When collaboration is active, reflection becomes richer and solutions are sustained.
4. Problem Solving: The Discipline of Learning
Problem Solving is the core of Jishuken practice. Leaders use structured thinking such as PDCA, 5-Why, and A3 analysis to clarify problems, confirm root causes, and verify countermeasures. The discipline of Problem Solving is how Toyota transforms mistakes into opportunities for learning.
Within Jishuken, every study ends with reflection on both the result and the process used to achieve it. This verification step ensures that learning is not accidental but intentional. By sharing findings through A3 reports and reflection sessions, the organization preserves knowledge and accelerates collective improvement.
5. Progress: Achieving Excellence through Measurable Growth
Progress is the visible outcome of learning. It represents both performance results and the development of capability. Leaders confirm progress by measuring not only production metrics but also participation, reflection quality, and the depth of understanding gained.
In Toyota, Progress is never an endpoint. It marks readiness for the next challenge. True Progress occurs when improvement cycles are sustained without external pressure and when leaders can teach others to repeat the process with confidence.
Jishuken: The Learning Engine Inside the Model
At the center of the 5P Model is Jishuken itself—the structured mechanism that drives learning through each dimension. Philosophy provides the purpose, Process defines the method, People and Partners enable collaboration, Problem Solving builds understanding, and Progress confirms growth.
When practiced together, the 5Ps create a balanced system of leadership development. They ensure that Lean TPS remains a human-centered system designed to prevent failure through continuous learning.
Reclaiming the Principles of Operational Excellence
The Lean TPS 5P Model restores the original purpose of the Toyota Production System: to build people who can build better processes. By grounding improvement in philosophy, connecting it through process, and sustaining it through people, Jishuken keeps operational excellence alive as a living practice.
Lean TPS Thinking becomes the visible result of invisible discipline. Through the 5P Model, Toyota demonstrates that operational excellence is not achieved through control, but through learning that aligns people, purpose, and performance.
Developing Leadership Capability through Structured Jishuken Practice
Section 4 – Historical Evolution of Jishuken
Introduction
Jishuken began inside Toyota as a structured study activity to strengthen both process performance and leadership capability. It was created to ensure that leaders learned improvement by doing it themselves, not by observing others. This section traces the historical development of Jishuken, showing how it evolved from early shop-floor studies into a global learning system that remains central to Lean TPS today.
Figure 4: Historical Evolution of Jishuken
Leadership development within Toyota advanced through successive generations of structured study, reflection, and knowledge transfer.
Origins and Purpose within Toyota
Jishuken originated during the 1960s and 1970s under Taiichi Ohno and the Operations Management Consulting Division (OMCD). It was created as a means to teach Toyota managers how to improve production flow through hands-on analysis. Early studies focused on eliminating waste and verifying standard work directly at the Gemba. The goal was to train leaders who could see problems scientifically, test countermeasures, and confirm results with data.
These early Jishuken groups became laboratories for leadership development. Managers and engineers were assigned to study real problems, document their findings, and share conclusions with executives. Each project reinforced the expectation that leadership growth and process improvement occur together.
Learning through Practice and Verification
The first generation of Jishuken relied on observation and time study to understand variation in work. Teams learned to measure facts instead of opinions and to link improvement results to standardized work. Reflection was built into every study to capture learning before moving forward.
As Toyota expanded globally, this method became the foundation for teaching improvement in new plants. Leaders trained in Japan were expected to guide the same study-based learning overseas, ensuring that TPS remained a living system rather than a transferred set of tools.
Evolution into Formal Leadership Training
By the 1980s, Jishuken had evolved from ad-hoc study circles into a structured leadership development program. OMCD standardized the approach, defining study phases, documentation formats, and review processes. Each Jishuken team followed a consistent rhythm: define theme, collect data, analyze cause, implement countermeasures, verify results, and reflect.
This discipline allowed Toyota to teach problem-solving ability at every management level. Senior leaders coached middle managers, who in turn mentored group leaders and engineers. Learning flowed upward and downward, creating a self-sustaining development chain.
Integration into Global TPS Deployment
During the 1990s and 2000s, Jishuken became central to Toyota’s global TPS rollout. Plants in North America, Europe, and Asia adopted internal Jishuken programs to localize training. The focus remained on leadership learning through practical application.
Each plant formed Jishuken teams to study critical processes such as assembly flow, material handling, and maintenance. These activities connected local challenges to Toyota’s global learning network. Results were verified jointly through reflection meetings that included both local and visiting mentors.
From Improvement Activity to Learning System
Over time, Jishuken shifted from being seen as a problem-solving event to being recognized as a leadership learning system. Its real purpose was not just to improve results but to develop the ability to sustain improvement. The routine of practice, reflection, and verification became the daily method of leadership development inside Toyota.
This transformation distinguished Toyota’s approach from traditional improvement programs. Where others focused on results, Toyota focused on capability. Jishuken ensured that leaders understood both the technical and human dimensions of change.
Continuing the Legacy
Today, Jishuken remains the mechanism through which Toyota preserves the thinking behind Lean TPS. Each new generation of leaders inherits the discipline to observe directly, analyze scientifically, and teach through practice. The continuity of this method safeguards the culture of respect, learning, and reflection that defines Toyota’s success.
Conclusion
The historical evolution of Jishuken demonstrates how a simple idea—leaders learning by doing—grew into a global system of capability development. Through decades of structured study, reflection, and standardization, Toyota created a model that builds leadership and process excellence simultaneously. Jishuken remains proof that lasting improvement is the product of continuous learning guided by disciplined practice.
Section 5: Internal Jishuken Activities: Structure and Method of Learning
Introduction
Internal Jishuken is the disciplined method Toyota uses to develop leadership capability inside each plant. It is not classroom instruction. It is structured learning at the Gemba where leaders observe the real condition, analyze causes, test countermeasures, and reflect on results. My experience at Toyota BT Raymond and across North American operations confirmed that Internal Jishuken is the foundation of leadership development. It strengthens the link between senior management, people development, and Kaizen. The Jishuken Triangle illustrates this connection and shows how capability grows through participation, reflection, and disciplined practice.
Figure 5: Internal Jishuken Activities Structure
Capability grows through structured study, reflection, and improvement within each plant’s daily management system.
The Purpose of Internal Jishuken
The purpose of Internal Jishuken is to build leadership capability by connecting management responsibility with daily work. Leaders study the actual condition by observing time, motion, sequence, and layout directly at the source. Through repeated study cycles, they develop the ability to identify waste, analyze causes, and verify countermeasures.
Internal Jishuken is part of daily management, not a special project. It teaches leaders to think scientifically, respond based on fact, and support members through disciplined coaching. The goal is not quick improvement. The goal is the development of leaders who can stabilize processes, teach others, and sustain flow.
The Leadership Side of the Triangle: Senior Management Driven
Internal Jishuken is driven by leadership. In my Toyota experience, managers did not delegate improvement. They participated in it. Senior leaders walked the Gemba, confirmed facts with their own eyes, and aligned the study theme with business priorities. Their presence signaled that improvement and learning were leadership responsibilities.
This created a culture where decisions were based on evidence, not intuition. Leaders modeled the behaviors expected of everyone: go and see, confirm the condition, understand before acting, and reflect on results. Their engagement provided direction and created the environment where improvement could occur.
The People Development Side of the Triangle: Focused Capability Building
Internal Jishuken strengthens capability by developing people at every level. Production, quality, logistics, engineering, and maintenance work together as one team. Each study teaches members how to observe processes, collect data, analyze variation, and verify results.
During my time supporting Jishuken at Toyota BT Raymond, I saw how this structure built confidence. Members learned to connect facts to standards, interpret variation, and participate in root cause analysis. Leaders coached thinking, not just actions. Reflection sessions turned experience into knowledge.
This people development focus created a shared language for improvement. It built respect across functions because each department understood how their work influenced others.
The Innovation Side of the Triangle: Radical Kaizen
Internal Jishuken is not limited to small improvements. It encourages teams to test new layouts, rebalance work, simplify motion, and experiment with visual controls. Kaizen provided the spark that kept learning active and improvement forward looking.
These experiments were always grounded in data and performed under controlled conditions. Safety and quality came first. Once a change showed measurable improvement, the team standardized the method and taught it to others. Kaizen supplied creativity. Jishuken supplied the structure to make innovation disciplined, repeatable, and teachable.
Structure and Flow of Internal Jishuken Study
Every Internal Jishuken follows a consistent sequence:
1. Define the Theme
The team selects a problem based on facts related to safety, quality, delivery, or cost.
2. Collect and Visualize Data
Members document time, distance, and sequence using observation and Standardized Work tools. Variation becomes visible through charts and diagrams.
3. Analyze the Current Condition
The team studies causes using 5-Why, cause-and-effect diagrams, and direct verification at the Gemba.
4. Propose and Test Countermeasures
Ideas are tested in small trials under real conditions. Results are measured before any change is adopted.
5. Reflect and Share Learning
Reflection converts experience into understanding. Findings are documented, standards updated, and training planned.
This sequence turns improvement into a learning cycle that strengthens capability and stabilizes processes.
Integration: How the Triangle Creates a Learning System
The power of Internal Jishuken appears when all three sides of the Triangle move together:
• Leadership sets purpose and participates
• People develop capability through structured study
• Kaizen introduces creativity and practical tests
Internal Jishuken integrates these actions into a repeatable cycle: study the work, identify the gap, analyze causes, try countermeasures, confirm results, standardize what worked, teach the method, and prepare the next study. This rhythm transforms improvement from isolated projects into an operating system for learning.
Reflection and Standardization
Reflection gives meaning to the study. After each activity, teams review what they observed, what they tested, what they confirmed, and what needs to be taught forward. Reflection ensures that the learning is not lost.
Standardization follows reflection. New methods are documented, visual controls updated, and work instructions revised. This locks in the learning and provides a stable base for the next study. Without standardization, improvement would fade. With it, capability grows steadily over time.
Sustaining Learning Through Repetition
Internal Jishuken is repeated continuously. Each cycle reinforces habits of observation, verification, and reflection. Leaders who participate regularly grow in judgment and confidence. Teams become more skilled at identifying gaps and proposing realistic countermeasures.
Over time, the entire organization adopts a shared approach to thinking and problem solving. This routine is what makes Lean TPS sustainable. Improvement becomes part of normal work, not a separate activity.
Conclusion
Internal Jishuken is Toyota’s living classroom. It unites leadership, capability building, and Kaizen into one structured learning system. The Jishuken Triangle illustrates how these three elements support each other. When leaders participate, when people develop capability, and when Kaizen brings challenge and creativity, improvement becomes continuous and learning becomes part of the culture. This is how Lean TPS develops a thinking people system capable of stable performance, adaptability, and long-term growth.
Section 6: The Spiral of Learning: From Kaizen to Jishuken to Global Capability
Introduction
The Spiral of Learning illustrates how Toyota turns daily improvement into progressive capability development. During my experience at Toyota BT Raymond and across North American operations, I saw how individuals, teams, and leaders advanced through this upward motion of study, verification, and reflection. The path begins with small improvements, matures through Jishuken, and expands into global collaboration. This section explains how capability evolves through these stages and how the spiral ensures that learning inside Lean TPS continues without end.
Figure 6: The Spiral of Learning – From Kaizen to Jishuken to Global Capability
Learning advances upward through structured practice and reflection, turning daily improvement into leadership growth.
From Daily Kaizen to Structured Study
The base of the spiral begins with daily Kaizen. Each associate is encouraged to identify small problems, act on abnormalities, and stabilize their own work. Spot Kaizen builds awareness, responsibility, and discipline. In my Toyota experience, this was the first step in teaching people to see variation and correct it before continuing.
Daily Kaizen prepares employees for more structured learning. When people develop the habit of observing abnormalities and confirming results, they are ready to participate in deeper study. Jishuken builds on this foundation by formalizing the process of learning through direct observation and data-driven analysis.
Quality Circles and Departmental Kaizen
The next layer of the spiral is teamwork. Quality Circles and Departmental Kaizen activities teach structured problem solving through regular meetings, PDCA cycles, and open discussion of recurring issues. Teams learn to visualize data, analyze variation, and propose countermeasures based on evidence.
These activities create the first link between individual awareness and organizational learning. Members begin to see how their processes connect to others. Leaders use these activities to coach observation, questioning, and reflection. This capability becomes essential when teams move into Jishuken activities that require deeper study of flow, stability, and method.
Plant-Wide Jishuken: Structured Leadership Learning
As learning advances up the spiral, Kaizen matures into Jishuken. Plant-Wide Jishuken brings cross-functional teams together to study complex systems and deeper causes. The focus shifts from isolated improvements to understanding how processes interact and how leadership behavior influences stability.
Senior leaders participate directly. In the Toyota environments where I worked, leaders joined Gemba studies, reviewed time charts, challenged assumptions, and confirmed findings. Jishuken study rooms displayed charts, layouts, and results so that learning could be reviewed by everyone. Each activity followed a deliberate rhythm of planning, testing, checking, and standardizing. This structure developed leadership capability while improving performance.
Global Jishuken: Shared Learning Across Regions
At the top of the spiral is Global Jishuken. Plants and suppliers across Toyota’s network collaborate to study shared challenges, compare analysis methods, and refine standards. Each site acts as both learner and teacher. Through this collaboration, knowledge moves horizontally across regions.
Global Jishuken reinforces Toyota’s belief that learning has no boundaries. The studies I participated in across North America demonstrated the value of shared problem solving and consistent methods. Reflection at this stage focuses not only on process results but also on the effectiveness of learning transfer.
Reflection as the Engine of Progress
Reflection drives the spiral upward. After every cycle of Kaizen or Jishuken, teams review what was learned, how understanding changed, and what the next challenge should be. Reflection turns results into knowledge and ensures that learning is intentional and cumulative.
Through reflection, capability compounds. Each discovery becomes the base for the next study. The spiral shape represents this progression. Each rotation builds on the last while moving higher in understanding.
The Role of Leadership in the Spiral
Leadership determines the speed and stability of the spiral. When leaders create time for study, verify facts, and encourage experimentation, learning accelerates. When leadership focuses only on results, learning slows and improvement becomes mechanical.
Toyota leaders sustain the spiral by balancing challenge with support. They set clear objectives, participate in study activities, and ensure that teams reflect on both successes and failures. This discipline keeps the spiral moving upward through knowledge rather than repetition.
Integration with the Jishuken Triangle
The Spiral of Learning is supported by the Jishuken Triangle. Leadership provides direction. People development ensures capability. Kaizen brings creative challenge. When these three work together, the spiral remains balanced and steady.
The triangle explains how learning maintains momentum. Leadership defines purpose. People stabilize processes. Innovation introduces the next challenge. Each rotation of study and reflection strengthens the system.
Conclusion
The Spiral of Learning shows that Lean TPS is a living system built on practice, reflection, and shared knowledge. Improvement begins with daily Kaizen, deepens through Jishuken, and expands through global collaboration. Each turn strengthens people and processes. Through disciplined study and reflection, Toyota ensures that learning continues upward without end. This structure is how the Thinking People System renews itself and builds capability at every level.
Section 7 – Leadership-Driven Learning and the Return to the Thinking People System
Introduction
The Jishuken Triangle represents the balanced relationship between leadership direction, people development, and innovation through Kaizen. During my experience at Toyota BT Raymond and across North American operations, I saw how this balance created a learning system that strengthened both capability and performance. The triangle explains how purpose, participation, and creativity work together to support continuous learning. This section describes how Toyota uses the Jishuken Triangle to align purpose with practice and how leadership builds capability while innovation keeps the system moving forward.
Figure 7: The Jishuken Triangle
Leadership, people development, and innovation form a balanced system that sustains learning and progress in Lean TPS.
Leadership Direction
The first side of the Jishuken Triangle is leadership direction. Leadership defines the purpose of the study, selects the theme, and sets measurable objectives. In my Toyota experience, a Jishuken always began with a clear reason for learning. Leaders asked what needed to be understood and how it connected to safety, quality, delivery, cost, or capability.
Leaders did not issue instructions from a distance. They participated directly in observation, analysis, and reflection. Their presence at the Gemba signaled that learning was their responsibility. By confirming facts and understanding real conditions, they supported teams in developing countermeasures based on evidence. Leadership direction therefore meant guidance through engagement.
People Development
The second side of the triangle is people development. This side represents the human purpose of Jishuken. Improvement is important, but the real goal is the growth of capability. Each participant learns how to analyze problems, confirm results, and standardize new methods.
People development occurs through participation. Members learn by testing ideas, recording data, comparing conditions to standards, and reflecting on outcomes. I saw this repeatedly in Toyota study rooms where teams reviewed charts, diagrams, and trial results together. Learning was created through shared experience, not instruction.
Leaders created opportunities for others to learn. They coached thinking instead of giving answers. When leaders asked questions, encouraged reflection, and provided structure, teams built confidence and creativity. Knowledge became shared rather than stored, making the system self-sustaining.
Radical Innovation through Kaizen
The third side of the triangle represents innovation through Kaizen. Jishuken develops capability, but it also challenges teams to rethink processes. In each study, participants were expected to question assumptions and test new ideas under controlled conditions. This discipline created the environment for breakthrough improvement.
Innovation in Toyota’s context means learning through experimentation. Teams trialed new layouts, modified sequences, tested visual controls, and adjusted workloads. Radical improvement came from understanding the process deeply and testing ideas methodically. When leaders and teams combined imagination with analysis, they produced results that strengthened stability and capability.
Balancing the Triangle
The strength of the Jishuken Triangle comes from balance. Excessive focus on leadership direction without people development creates dependency. Emphasizing innovation without structure creates instability. Concentrating only on training without challenge slows growth. When direction, development, and innovation move together, improvement becomes continuous and sustainable.
This balance is maintained through reflection. After every Jishuken, leaders and teams reviewed how well each side of the triangle was practiced. They confirmed whether the purpose was clear, whether capability was strengthened, and whether results were verified. Reflection kept the triangle aligned and prevented drift toward short-term performance.
The Role of Senior Leadership
Senior leaders sustain the triangle by reinforcing learning behavior throughout the organization. They ensure that time for study is protected and that results are confirmed through data. In the Toyota locations where I worked, executives were present at the Gemba not to judge results but to learn with the team.
Their participation demonstrated humility and curiosity. It showed that leadership means learning first and deciding second. When senior leaders modeled these behaviors, they strengthened trust and made improvement a shared responsibility across all levels.
Innovation as Continuous Renewal
The Jishuken Triangle creates continuous renewal. Each study sharpens leadership, builds capability, and encourages innovation. As each side strengthens, it supports the others. The triangle becomes a flywheel that keeps Lean TPS moving forward.
This renewal creates a culture where improvement is expected and leadership growth is normal. The organization evolves while maintaining stability. This is how Toyota sustains competitiveness without sacrificing respect for people or process integrity.
Conclusion
The Jishuken Triangle illustrates the balance that makes Lean TPS sustainable. Leadership provides direction. People development builds capability. Innovation through Kaizen ensures renewal. Together they create a stable learning system where progress is continuous. Toyota’s success comes from maintaining this balance and developing people through disciplined study at the Gemba.
Section 8 – The Spiral of Learning: From Kaizen to Jishuken to Global Capability
Introduction
The Jishuken Leadership Ladder illustrates how capability develops through progressive levels of study and responsibility. During my experience at Toyota BT Raymond and across North American Jishuken activities, I saw how leaders advanced not through position but through verified ability to observe, analyze, teach, and sustain improvement. The ladder shows how leadership maturity grows through scientific thinking, structured practice, and reflection. This section explains the structure of the leadership ladder and how Toyota uses it to develop thinking people at every level of the organization.
Figure 8: The Jishuken Leadership Ladder
Leadership capability develops through successive stages of learning, reflection, and teaching within the Jishuken system.
The Concept of Progressive Capability
Leadership capability in Toyota is developed through experience, not title. The Jishuken Leadership Ladder formalizes this growth by linking responsibility to levels of learning. Each step represents a verified ability to observe reality, analyze causes, and teach others. The purpose is to make leadership development visible and measurable through action at the Gemba.
The ladder begins with understanding basic process stability and advances toward the ability to design systems and develop people. Progress is earned through participation in studies, reflection on results, and demonstration of teaching skill. This structure ensures that leadership learning is consistent, standardized, and sustained.
Level 1: Understanding the Work
At the first level, leaders learn to observe the process as it exists. They study Standardized Work, collect data, and confirm facts. The objective is to see problems directly and distinguish between normal and abnormal conditions. This level builds respect for standards and teaches the importance of consistency in daily operations.
Participants at this stage often lead small improvement activities or assist in collecting data during Jishuken studies. Their role is to learn the fundamentals of observation and develop an eye for waste, variation, and burden. Mastery of this level creates the foundation for disciplined improvement.
Level 2: Analyzing and Improving the Process
The second level focuses on structured problem solving. Leaders learn to conduct time studies, perform 5-Why analysis, and use cause-and-effect diagrams to identify root causes. They develop confidence in verifying data and applying countermeasures under controlled conditions.
Through Internal Jishuken activities, these leaders begin to guide small teams, document results, and present findings. Reflection at this stage focuses on learning how to communicate with evidence and explain improvements logically. This level builds analytical skill and deepens scientific thinking.
Level 3: Leading Study and Reflection
At the third level, leaders facilitate full Jishuken themes within their department. They coordinate cross-functional participation, guide reflection meetings, and ensure that new practices are standardized. The emphasis is on teaching rather than directing.
Leaders at this level mentor others in observation and analysis. They learn how to balance technical guidance with people development, creating an environment where learning is shared openly. Achievement is measured by the team’s ability to sustain improvement independently, not by personal results.
Level 4: Developing People and Systems
At the fourth level, leadership capability expands beyond process improvement to system design. Leaders connect departments, align objectives, and manage learning across teams. They develop others by assigning study themes that stretch capability and by coaching reflection on results.
This level represents the shift from managing outcomes to shaping culture. Leaders model the behavior they expect from others: curiosity, respect, and accountability. Their success is measured by how well they build the next generation of capable leaders.
Level 5: Strategic Leadership and Global Learning
The highest level of the ladder focuses on strategic integration and global learning. Leaders at this stage guide the deployment of Jishuken across regions, ensuring consistency in purpose and method. They facilitate Global Jishuken studies where multiple plants collaborate on shared challenges.
These leaders preserve philosophy while encouraging innovation. They mentor developing leaders in other sites and confirm that Lean TPS remains a learning system rather than a management program. This level represents leadership maturity in its highest form: the ability to lead through teaching and sustain improvement through reflection.
Reflection and Advancement
Progress on the Jishuken Leadership Ladder is verified through reflection. After each major study, leaders review what they learned, what they taught, and how they applied lessons to new challenges. Advancement occurs only when capability is demonstrated through behavior and results.
Reflection keeps learning grounded in experience. Leaders grow by understanding their strengths and gaps. It also maintains humility, reminding each person that improvement has no endpoint.
Conclusion
The Jishuken Leadership Ladder defines how Toyota builds leadership capability step by step through structured study. Each level strengthens the next, linking technical knowledge with human development. The ladder demonstrates that leadership is learned through practice, reflection, and teaching. Through this disciplined progression, Toyota ensures that every generation of leaders can sustain the principles of Lean TPS and continue the spiral of learning.
Section 9: The History of Problem Solving: The Roots of the Jishuken Learning Cycle
Introduction
The Jishuken Circle represents the continuous cycle of learning that connects practice, reflection, and capability. It is the core structure through which Toyota transforms experience into understanding. During my time in Toyota environments, I saw how each turn of the circle deepened leadership ability by linking direct action with deliberate reflection. This section explains how the Jishuken Circle operates, how it aligns with PDCA, and how its development is rooted in the evolution of scientific problem solving.
Figure 9: The History of Problem Solving
The foundation of Toyota’s learning cycle, tracing the evolution from scientific management and PDCA to modern Jishuken practice.
The Origins of Scientific Problem Solving
Modern problem solving began with Frederick Winslow Taylor and the early industrial scientists of the late nineteenth century. Taylor’s time studies and method analysis introduced the first systematic approach to understanding work. His intent was to improve efficiency through observation and standardization.
In the 1920s, Walter Shewhart introduced Statistical Process Control at Bell Laboratories. His cycle of specification, production, and inspection established the idea that variation is central to improvement. Shewhart’s work showed that data, not opinion, should drive decision making. This principle would become essential to Toyota’s development of problem solving.
Deming and the Birth of PDCA
W. Edwards Deming expanded Shewhart’s thinking into the Plan Do Check Act cycle. He taught that improvement should follow a scientific loop of hypothesis, testing, verification, and adjustment. Deming’s collaboration with Japanese industry after the Second World War introduced this model to Toyota, where it became the foundation of daily management.
The PDCA cycle created a structured approach to testing ideas, confirming results, and standardizing successful methods. Deming emphasized that quality must be built into the process rather than inspected afterwards. This aligned directly with Sakichi Toyoda’s principle of Jidoka and the belief that stable processes are built through learning.
JUSE and the Spread of Quality Circles
The Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers helped embed Deming’s ideas throughout Japanese industry. In the 1950s and 1960s, JUSE introduced Quality Circles, small group problem solving teams that engaged workers in identifying and correcting issues. These activities gave employees ownership of improvement and strengthened the relationship between data, teamwork, and capability.
Toyota adopted this model as the entry point for developing capability on the shop floor. Quality Circles became the first formal structure for teaching members to analyze problems scientifically. This practice established the base for later Jishuken studies, where leaders learned through the same method at a higher level of complexity.
From Western Science to Toyota’s Learning System
As Toyota grew, leaders such as Kiichiro Toyoda, Taiichi Ohno, and Eiji Toyoda combined the concepts of scientific management with human centered development. They saw that tools and techniques alone were not enough. Improvement required people who could think critically, observe deeply, and reflect honestly.
Ohno emphasized that standards must exist before improvement. Without a baseline, learning cannot be measured. This idea linked Deming’s PDCA logic with Toyota’s respect for people. The result was a problem solving culture where each worker and leader was expected to study variation, propose countermeasures, and reflect on results.
Integration of Analytical Methods
During the 1960s and 1970s, analytical methods such as Design of Experiments and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis added structure to problem solving. In Japan, the TRIZ method expanded creative thinking by focusing on contradictions and innovation.
Toyota absorbed these influences but simplified their application through visual management and direct observation. The goal was clarity, not complexity. Each method was applied within a structured learning process that could be practiced by everyone at the Gemba.
The Evolution Toward Jishuken
By the 1980s, Toyota had transformed problem solving from a technical activity into a leadership development system. OMCD Sensei formalized Jishuken as the advanced form of PDCA. It became a method where leaders learned by doing, combining analysis, reflection, and teaching.
Jishuken study groups created the environment where leaders connected scientific thinking with people development. Instead of separating action from reflection, Toyota joined them in one continuous cycle. Leaders planned and acted scientifically, verified data personally, and taught others through reflection. This ensured that learning was continuous, practical, and shared.
Reflection and Knowledge Transfer
The evolution from PDCA to Jishuken marked the point where improvement became a method of developing people. Reflection transformed results into understanding. Standardization preserved knowledge and enabled it to be passed forward. Every study became part of Toyota’s organizational memory, linking modern activity to its scientific origins.
Through this disciplined evolution, Toyota preserved the heart of the scientific method while humanizing it through respect for people. The result was a system where progress and learning supported each other.
Conclusion
The history of problem solving is the story of how scientific thinking evolved into Toyota’s method of developing people through improvement. From Shewhart’s control charts to Deming’s PDCA and JUSE’s Quality Circles, each contribution built toward a system grounded in observation, reflection, and capability. Jishuken represents the highest expression of this lineage. It is a living learning cycle that turns knowledge into understanding and understanding into continuous progress.
Section 10 The History of Problem Solving: The Roots of the Jishuken Learning Cycle
Introduction
The Toyota Production System did not emerge in isolation. It was built through generations of disciplined innovation, leadership, and learning. The image titled “TPS History: My Lean TPS” illustrates this progression from invention to systemization, showing how the principles of continuous improvement and respect for people became inseparable. My own Lean TPS development at Toyota BT Raymond and through the mentorship of Mr. Nomura connected directly to this lineage.
Figure 10: The Lineage of the Toyota Production System
Each Jishuken follows a clear sequence from theme selection to reflection, ensuring that learning is systematic and results are verified through data.
Sakichi Toyoda and the Birth of Jidoka
The journey begins with Sakichi Toyoda, often called the father of Japan’s industrial revolution. His invention of the automatic loom introduced the principle of Jidoka, the idea that machines should stop automatically when an abnormality occurs.
Jidoka placed responsibility and authority in the hands of workers. It established the foundation for built-in quality and created the belief that quality must be produced during the work, not checked after completion. This principle remains central to Toyota’s belief that people are the source of improvement.
Kiichiro Toyoda and the Creation of Flow
Kiichiro Toyoda expanded this thinking into the domain of production flow. In the 1930s he set the challenge to catch up with America and introduced the concept of Just in Time production. His goal was to eliminate overproduction, synchronize manufacturing with customer demand, and reveal problems through the rhythm of work.
Kiichiro’s leadership established the first automotive production line within Toyota and formed the basis for modern Lean production. He translated Jidoka into a moving flow environment, connecting stability, timing, and problem exposure.
Taiichi Ohno and the Development of Kanban
Taiichi Ohno unified Jidoka and Just in Time into a single management system. In the 1950s he developed the Kanban method to control production visually. Kanban ensured that each process produced only what the next process required and made abnormal conditions immediately visible.
Ohno insisted that where there is no standard there can be no Kaizen. He taught that improvement must rest on a clear baseline because learning requires comparison. His work turned flow into a language of communication between processes and made standardization the foundation for scientific thinking.
Sakata and Susumu Toyoda: Formalizing Jishuken
The evolution of TPS continued with leaders such as Mr. Seiji Sakata and Mr. Susumu Toyoda. Through the Operations Management Consulting Department, they formalized Jishuken as the method for developing leaders through structured study at the Gemba.
Jishuken reinforced the idea that leaders must learn through participation. OMCD Sensei guided teams through observation, analysis, countermeasure trials, and reflection. This ensured that the thinking of Sakichi, Kiichiro, and Ohno was preserved as Toyota expanded worldwide.
Nomura and the Global Continuation of TPS
In the early 2000s, this same tradition reached Toyota Industries Corporation and Toyota BT Raymond through the mentorship of Mr. Sadao Nomura, Senior Advisor and OMCD trained Sensei. His guidance taught Jishuken as a leadership development system and deepened understanding of Dantotsu Quality, the pursuit of being the best through clarity, precision, and verification of facts.
The photograph of Mr. Nomura and David Devoe in Brantford symbolizes the direct transfer of TPS knowledge from Japan to North America. It represents the continuation of the unbroken chain of TPS learning.
A Living System Built by Generations
Each leader represented in the image contributed a building block that shaped TPS into a living system. Sakichi Toyoda introduced intelligent automation. Kiichiro Toyoda created flow. Taiichi Ohno connected these concepts through standardization and daily learning. OMCD Sensei extended the system through coaching and structured reflection.
This evolution shows that TPS was never a single invention. It was a series of disciplined improvements passed from generation to generation.
Standardization and Learning
The statement in the image, “Where there is no standard there can be no Kaizen,” expresses the principle that links all these contributions. Standardization is not the opposite of creativity. It is the foundation that makes improvement possible.
The Sensei tradition preserves this relationship between stability and learning. Through structured Jishuken, visual management, and confirmation of facts, the wisdom of Toyota’s founders remains active in every plant that practices Lean TPS correctly.
The Thinking People System Today
Lean TPS continues this mission by teaching organizations to make problems visible, confirm learning with data, and develop leaders through structured study. The objective is not to copy Toyota’s tools but to internalize its thinking. The system thrives when people learn, teach, and reflect as part of daily work.
The lineage of TPS shows that Toyota’s success is rooted in one principle: people develop systems, and systems develop people. That interdependence remains the defining characteristic of the Thinking People System.
Applying Jishuken as a System for Continuous Improvement
Section 11: Operations Management Consulting Division (OMCD) and the Globalization of Jishuken
Introduction
The Operations Management Consulting Division became the central learning and leadership development system of the Toyota Production System. Its purpose was to preserve the integrity of Toyota’s improvement philosophy while building capability across the company. OMCD standardized the method of Jishuken as the primary way to develop leaders, sustain continuous improvement, and maintain consistent learning worldwide. This section explains how OMCD globalized Jishuken and connected leadership growth, process improvement, and reflection into one global learning framework.
Figure 11: The Senior TPS Advisor “Sensei” – A Pillar of Toyota Way Best Practices
Through OMCD, Toyota leaders transferred the knowledge and discipline of TPS across generations and geographies, ensuring that improvement remained a learning opportunity.
How OMCD Built a Worldwide Learning System
OMCD was established in the 1960s under Taiichi Ohno to consolidate, teach, and protect the Toyota Production System. Its mission was to ensure that TPS remained a way of thinking grounded in science, respect, and reflection, rather than a collection of tools.
OMCD consultants were assigned to plants as internal advisors. Their role was to guide Jishuken teams, verify data at the Gemba, and confirm learning through direct observation and fact-based study. They ensured that every improvement activity strengthened leadership capability as well as process performance.
This internal consulting model became Toyota’s framework for continuous learning. By developing people through structured practice, OMCD allowed TPS principles to expand globally without losing integrity.
The Role of the Sensei and the Discipline of Teaching
Within OMCD, a Sensei was an experienced teacher responsible for transferring both philosophy and method. Sensei guided leaders through observation, analysis, and reflection. They did not give solutions. They asked questions that revealed gaps in understanding.
This approach protected the spirit of TPS by keeping responsibility with the learner. Leaders were expected to test their own ideas, verify their own data, and report results openly. Sensei instruction combined technical rigor with humility and reinforced that improvement is created through learning, not authority.
The photograph of Mr. Sadao Nomura, Senior Advisor and OMCD-trained Sensei, represents this living tradition. His mentorship of Toyota Industries Corporation and his work in North America demonstrated how OMCD’s method of teaching turned improvement into a lifelong practice.
OMCD as Toyota’s System of Reflection
OMCD formalized reflection as a standard part of improvement. Every Jishuken ended with structured review sessions where teams summarized facts, compared results to standards, and identified the next theme for study. These reflections became the archive of Toyota’s learning history.
Reflection connected technical results with personal development. It ensured that improvement was based on understanding rather than compliance. OMCD’s approach to reflection later shaped the A3 report, which integrated logic, evidence, cause analysis, and narrative into a single framework for learning.
Leadership through Seeing and Teaching
OMCD taught that leadership begins with seeing. Leaders were expected to observe processes directly, confirm facts, and understand cause and effect before making decisions. Seeing and teaching were inseparable. When leaders taught what they saw, they reinforced their own understanding and spread learning throughout the team.
This practice made leadership a visible act of service. Sensei modeled humility by asking questions that guided others to insight. This behavior strengthened Toyota’s learning culture because it taught leaders to think scientifically and support others through practice.
Global Expansion of Jishuken through OMCD
As Toyota expanded globally, OMCD became the mechanism for transferring knowledge. Japanese-trained advisors were assigned to overseas plants to mentor local leaders. These OMCD consultants taught the same Jishuken sequence: define theme, collect data, analyze causes, confirm countermeasures, reflect, and standardize.
This approach provided consistency across regions while allowing flexibility for local adaptation. It demonstrated that TPS could thrive in any culture because its foundation was universal: study facts, reflect deeply, and act with respect for people.
OMCD’s Lasting Contribution
OMCD institutionalized leadership learning within the Toyota Production System. It proved that improvement can be sustained only when reflection is built into daily management. The consultants became the guardians of Toyota’s learning culture, ensuring that TPS remained a system of thinking and development.
Their legacy continues through every Jishuken conducted around the world. Each study, each reflection meeting, and each standardization activity continues the framework they established. Through OMCD, the practice of Jishuken became Toyota’s most powerful method for developing leaders who can think, teach, and sustain improvement.
Conclusion
OMCD and the globalization of Jishuken show how Toyota turned improvement into an educational process. The division built a worldwide learning network that connects philosophy to practice, reflection to progress, and leadership to respect. Through OMCD, the Thinking People System became not only a way to build products but a way to build capable people anywhere in the world.
Section 12: North American Application: Toyota BT Raymond and TMHMNA (Toyota Material Handling Manufacturing North America)
Introduction
The globalization of Jishuken advanced significantly when the practice was introduced and adapted at Toyota BT Raymond in Brantford, Ontario, and Toyota Material Handling Manufacturing North America in Indiana and Columbus. Under the guidance of OMCD-trained Sensei, these sites applied Toyota’s original learning system to develop leadership capability, strengthen problem solving skills, and align improvement with people development. This section explains how Jishuken was adapted to the North American environment while preserving the discipline, reflection, and respect that define Toyota’s approach.
Figure 12: North American Application of Jishuken
Toyota BT Raymond and TMHMNA integrated Jishuken into leadership development, connecting reflection and problem solving with the Thinking People System.
Transferring the OMCD Learning Model
When Jishuken was introduced in North America, its purpose remained identical to its application in Japan. It existed to develop people through structured study at the Gemba. Japanese Sensei from Toyota Industries Corporation and OMCD mentored local leaders through the same disciplined sequence practiced in Japan. The steps defined the theme, collected data, analyzed causes, tested countermeasures, reflected on results, and standardized new methods.
This hands-on method required leaders to learn by doing. They were expected to study facts directly instead of delegating analysis to others. OMCD’s approach reinforced the belief that leadership development does not occur in classrooms. It develops in the workplace where real conditions can be verified.
At Toyota BT Raymond, these studies created a shared understanding of process conditions and leadership expectations. The same structure was applied at TMHMNA, where reflection became part of daily management and a regular practice for both technical and leadership development.
Adapting to the North American Context
Transferring Jishuken to a new cultural environment required more than translation. It required sensitivity to communication styles, management habits, and pace of work. Japanese Sensei invested time in establishing trust and building relationships before introducing the structure and rigor of standardized study.
Many North American leaders initially viewed Jishuken as a problem solving event. Through repetition they discovered its actual purpose. Jishuken existed to teach scientific thinking, develop leadership behavior, and strengthen teamwork. Once this purpose became clear, Jishuken transformed from a project to a sustainable practice.
Visual study boards, A3 reports, and reflection summaries were introduced to make thinking visible. This bridged cultural differences by converting discussion into shared analysis. Leaders learned that transparency and evidence created confidence in both the process and the results.
Leadership Development through Practice and Reflection
In both BT Raymond and TMHMNA, Jishuken became the structure for developing leadership at every level. Managers and engineers worked side by side to study real problems, confirm data, and verify improvements. Leaders developed humility, patience, and the ability to teach others through structured practice.
Reflection became a requirement. Teams documented learning after each study and shared results across departments. These reflections made leadership development visible and established a standard method for continuous learning.
Senior leaders reinforced this culture by participating directly in reflection meetings. Their presence signaled that study, observation, and confirmation were part of their leadership responsibilities. This consistency created alignment across levels and reinforced the belief that improvement is part of daily work.
Nomura Sensei’s Mentorship and Dantotsu Quality
A central influence in the North American Jishuken journey was Mr. Sadao Nomura, Senior Advisor and OMCD-trained Sensei. His philosophy of Dantotsu Quality, meaning the best of the best, guided BT Raymond and TMHMNA in developing leaders who could connect process, data, and reflection with precision.
Nomura taught that true quality is created through clarity. Leaders must verify facts personally and design systems that prevent failure. His coaching blended technical mastery with the philosophy of the Toyota Way, ensuring that improvement and people development advanced together.
Nomura’s mentorship strengthened the connection between Japanese and North American leadership. He ensured that Jishuken remained faithful to its origins while adapting to local challenges. The result was a generation of North American leaders trained in the same disciplined thinking used in Japan.
The Role of Dantotsu Reflection
Dantotsu Reflection became the signature of North American Jishuken. Teams recorded insights immediately after action, transforming experience into shared learning. Reflection included technical findings, leadership behaviors, communication lessons, and capability development.
This process reinforced the idea that Jishuken is not only a system for improving processes but also a system for developing people. Each reflection created a new standard for how to think, act, and lead. This ensured that every improvement cycle strengthened both technical performance and human capability.
Integration with Lean TPS Basic Training
The experience gained through Jishuken studies at BT Raymond and TMHMNA became the foundation of Lean TPS Basic Training. Leaders who participated in studies began teaching the same principles to new members through structured training modules.
These sessions focused on practical learning rather than lectures. Participants studied actual conditions at the Gemba, identified causes, and proposed countermeasures. Reflection followed each observation, reinforcing the connection between theory and practice.
This integration ensured that Jishuken was not an isolated activity but the core learning system for Toyota operations in North America.
A System for Leadership Continuity
Through Jishuken and Lean TPS Basic Training, Toyota BT Raymond and TMHMNA built a continuous and self-sustaining leadership development system. Leaders were expected to teach what they had learned, ensuring that knowledge traveled horizontally and vertically through the organization.
This continuity prevented dependency on outside expertise and created consistency in leadership behavior. Improvement became part of daily work, and reflection became the standard approach for understanding problems and making decisions.
Conclusion
The North American application of Jishuken demonstrated that TPS principles can be transferred successfully across cultures when the focus remains on people development. By adapting the OMCD learning model and applying the spirit of Dantotsu Quality, Toyota BT Raymond and TMHMNA built a living system of continuous improvement. Through practice, reflection, and mentorship, they proved that the Thinking People System is universal. It remains effective wherever leaders are willing to learn by doing.
Applying Jishuken as a System for Continuous Improvement
Section 13 – Jishuken Annual Planning and Leadership Development (TMHMNA FYE2010)
Introduction
Jishuken is more than an improvement activity. It is a framework that teaches leaders how to adapt, think scientifically, and respond to changing conditions. This section explains how Toyota uses Jishuken to develop adaptability at all leadership levels, ensuring that learning continues as environments evolve. The image titled “Lean TPS Leadership and Jishuken Model” shows how disciplined study, reflection, and action connect leadership capability with system performance.
Figure 13: The Jishuken Leadership and Adaptability Model
Leadership adaptability grows through repeated cycles of Jishuken study and reflection, turning uncertainty into learning opportunities and improvement into a habit.
The Purpose of Adaptability in Lean Leadership
Adaptability is the ability to respond to change without losing stability. In Toyota’s approach, adaptability is not reactive. It is learned through practice and reflection. Jishuken provides the environment where leaders face real problems, study causes, and test countermeasures under pressure.
This experience develops confidence and composure. Leaders learn to approach new conditions with a structured method rather than assumption or emotion. Through repetition, adaptability becomes a discipline that strengthens leadership maturity.
OMCD Sensei taught that adaptability is evidence of understanding. When leaders can apply TPS principles to new challenges without losing alignment to purpose, learning has taken root. Jishuken builds this capability by making reflection part of every response to change.
Building Structured Thinking through Practice
Structured thinking is the foundation of leadership adaptability. Jishuken trains this discipline by requiring leaders to clarify objectives, collect facts, analyze variation, and verify results before making decisions.
Each study demands the same scientific rigor regardless of urgency. Leaders learn that speed without understanding leads to rework. Structured thinking provides stability, allowing teams to act quickly while maintaining direction and purpose.
At Toyota BT Raymond and TMHMNA, leaders used structured thinking during Jishuken to stabilize processes, manage variation, and eliminate waste. These experiences built confidence to manage future uncertainties and turned reaction into purposeful action.
Reflection as the Source of Adaptability
Adaptability grows through reflection. Reflection converts results into knowledge by clarifying cause and effect. In Jishuken, reflection follows every experiment and every change. Teams record what they learned, what they misunderstood, and what they will study next.
Through reflection, leaders become aware of their thinking patterns. They uncover bias, correct assumptions, and deepen their understanding of system behavior. This awareness makes them more adaptable because they learn to respond to facts, not opinions.
Across Toyota’s global operations, reflection has become the mechanism for renewal. It turns individual experience into shared organizational knowledge, ensuring that adaptability is developed collectively.
Leadership Adaptability in Action
Adaptability becomes visible during disruption. When demand changes, resources tighten, or systems shift, leaders trained in Jishuken respond by studying the new condition scientifically.
During supply challenges and economic uncertainty, plants guided by OMCD-influenced leadership maintained stability by applying Jishuken principles. Teams went to the Gemba, collected data, and reviewed facts before deciding. They avoided reactionary behavior by using the same disciplined routines that guided improvement under normal conditions.
At Toyota BT Raymond, these habits were evident during equipment realignments and system redesigns. Leaders used Jishuken to study change, not resist it. Each reflection session produced clearer understanding and faster recovery.
Teaching Adaptability through Coaching
Adaptability is sustained through coaching. Every leader in Toyota is responsible for developing the adaptability of others. During Jishuken, senior leaders mentor participants through questions that test reasoning and reinforce principles.
Coaching focuses on thinking, not results. Core questions include: What did you see? What did you expect? What did you learn? These questions keep attention focused on understanding the process rather than judging outcomes. Over time, teams learn to ask these questions themselves, creating independent problem solvers.
The coach maintains the balance between challenge and support. Too much direction prevents learning. Too little structure causes confusion. Effective coaching produces confidence, consistency, and curiosity, which are essential qualities of adaptability.
Problem Solving as a Leadership Behavior
In Toyota’s system, problem solving is a leadership behavior, not a task assigned only during crisis or improvement events. Leaders are expected to identify problems, verify causes, and confirm solutions as part of daily work. Jishuken provides the discipline for doing this consistently.
Through structured problem solving, leaders build awareness of interconnected processes. They learn that improvement in one area affects others, and sustainable change requires collaboration. Each study reinforces that leadership is a team activity grounded in mutual respect and shared purpose.
This behavior creates organizational resilience. Problems are addressed openly, facts are confirmed, and learning is shared. The culture becomes proactive rather than reactive.
Developing Systemic Awareness
Jishuken strengthens adaptability by developing systemic awareness. Leaders learn to see beyond their own department and understand how decisions influence the entire flow of work.
During departmental and plant-wide Jishuken studies, leaders coordinated across boundaries. They observed how improvements in one process could create imbalance in another. Reflection emphasized that improving the system requires understanding the system.
This broader awareness develops strategic thinking. Leaders who understand interaction and dependency can adapt more effectively to complex challenges.
Continuous Improvement through Adaptable Leadership
Adaptable leadership keeps continuous improvement active. When leaders combine structured problem solving with reflective adaptability, they maintain momentum even under pressure.
Toyota’s experience shows that organizations struggle not because they face change, but because they stop learning. Jishuken prevents stagnation by embedding adaptability into daily leadership behavior. Every problem becomes a study. Every study becomes an opportunity to grow capability.
Conclusion
Jishuken is Toyota’s system for developing adaptable leaders who can think and act scientifically in any condition. By linking practice with reflection and reflection with capability, it creates a leadership culture that thrives on learning. The process converts uncertainty into progress and challenge into opportunity. Through Jishuken, Toyota demonstrates that adaptability is not the opposite of stability. It is the outcome of disciplined learning practiced every day at the Gemba.
Section 14: Brantford Jishuken Kickoff A3 (FYE09)
Introduction
The Brantford Jishuken Kickoff A3 for the fiscal year ending 2009 marked the formal introduction of the Jishuken learning system at Toyota BT Raymond in North America. Developed under the guidance of OMCD-trained Sensei, the A3 established the baseline study format that defined how themes, objectives, and leadership learning goals would be organized and communicated. This section describes the purpose, structure, and outcomes of the kickoff Jishuken A3, which became the foundation for leadership-driven improvement within the Lean TPS framework.
Figure 14 – Brantford Jishuken Kickoff A3 (FYE09): Baseline study document defining theme, purpose, and learning objectives for the Reach Truck Tractor Assembly Jishuken at Toyota BT Raymond, integrating process analysis, visual mapping, and leadership development within the Lean TPS framework.
Verification of Learning through PDCA, Standardization, and Data-Based Reflection at Toyota BT Raymond
The FYE09 Mid-Term and Final Jishuken A3s at Toyota BT Raymond demonstrated how verification of learning turns improvement into a sustainable system. Each A3 documented the PDCA cycle in motion, linking process stability with leadership development and measurable results.
At the Mid-Term stage, data confirmed that line balance and operator motion had improved significantly. Man-hours per unit (MH/U) dropped from 185 to 160 minutes. Flow interruptions caused by option differences were reduced through standardized layouts and better sequencing. Leaders used time studies and visual charts to confirm that changes were effective and repeatable.
The Final A3 captured reflection and standardization activities. Teams documented how new methods were written into Standardized Work charts, training materials, and audit checklists. Improvements were verified using actual production data, ensuring that the new standards held under daily conditions. Charts compared before-and-after MH/U trends, revealing that improvements were sustained even as volume and model mix fluctuated.
Leadership learning was also verified. Each core member presented findings, data, and lessons learned to management and cross-functional teams. Presentations included not only results but explanations of how the improvements were achieved. The emphasis was on method and thinking, not only outcome. This reflection ensured that knowledge became organizational rather than individual.
The reflection panels within the A3s highlighted key insights:
Leaders must confirm results through data, not perception.
Standards must be reviewed and reinforced to hold the gain.
Reflection and teaching close the learning loop.
These lessons became the foundation for future Jishuken cycles. Verification was not a final step but part of a repeating rhythm of learning. Each study concluded with a plan for the next, creating continuity between improvement events and leadership development.
At Toyota BT Raymond, the verification process proved that learning sustains results. When evidence is collected, standards are updated, and reflection is practiced, improvement becomes part of the organization’s daily management system. This discipline transformed Jishuken from a project-based activity into a continuous learning framework that strengthens people, process, and performance together.
Purpose and Context
The kickoff A3 was created to unify process improvement and leadership development. The study focused on the Reach Truck Tractor Assembly line, where production flow, part logistics, and work balance required clear analysis. The intent was not only to improve performance but to teach managers and engineers how to study process flow scientifically.
Under OMCD and Toyota Industries Corporation Sensei, the Brantford team used the A3 format as a learning tool. It documented purpose, background, current condition, and study method. Each section linked technical findings with leadership development goals, demonstrating that improvement and capability growth must advance together.
Theme and Learning Objective
The Jishuken theme addressed factors limiting flow in the Reach Truck Tractor Assembly process. The learning objective was to teach leaders how to observe, analyze, and verify process behavior using facts rather than assumptions.
Specific goals included:
• Developing the ability to visualize process flow with Standardized Work Combination Tables and layout diagrams
• Confirming time balance and part presentation to support consistent material handling
• Strengthening team participation in daily problem solving
• Building leadership confidence through structured reflection
This combination of technical and people development goals established the foundation for future Jishuken activities in North America.
Current Condition Analysis
The A3 documented the current condition using time studies, process maps, and workload distribution graphs. Data revealed uneven work content across stations, variation in part delivery timing, and takt imbalance.
Visual charts and standard work diagrams were used to display findings. Making variation visible created shared understanding and reinforced that clarity of data leads to clarity of thinking. Leaders learned that objective evidence is essential for improvement.
Problem Breakdown and Target Setting
After confirming the current condition, the team broke down the problem into measurable factors. Flow variation was analyzed through a cause and effect matrix that categorized delays, part shortages, ergonomic concerns, and communication gaps.
Targets were established to stabilize performance, reduce internal lead time, and improve consistency across shifts. Goals were expressed in both measurable outputs and leadership development outcomes. This dual focus reinforced that improvement is incomplete unless people capability increases along with process performance.
Strategy and Countermeasure Development
The A3 captured proposed countermeasures for each problem area. These included standardizing work sequence, redesigning part presentation racks, improving communication between material handling and assembly, and adjusting man machine balance.
All countermeasures were tested under controlled trials and verified using real production data. The A3 structure allowed teams to review proposals visually and learn from both successful and unsuccessful trials.
Leadership Development and Reflection
A key section of the Brantford Jishuken A3 documented leadership learning. Reflection was built into the process rather than reserved for the end. Leaders recorded observations, lessons, and insights directly within the A3.
Reflection meetings were held at the Gemba. Participants reviewed findings together while Sensei guided discussion through questions that deepened understanding. The A3 became both a technical study document and a leadership training record, linking process performance with behavioral learning.
Results and Knowledge Transfer
The Brantford Jishuken Kickoff A3 produced measurable improvements in both process and people development. Flow stability increased, variation decreased, and takt adherence improved. More importantly, leaders gained confidence in leading studies and coaching others through the same structure.
The success of this kickoff demonstrated the effectiveness of Jishuken as a leadership development system. The A3 became the standard model for Jishuken studies at BT Raymond, TMHMNA, and other Toyota operations.
Verification of Learning through PDCA, Standardization, and Data Based Reflection
To complete the kickoff A3, Toyota BT Raymond created Mid Term and Final A3s that documented how improvements and learning were verified. This verification process transformed Jishuken from a project into a sustainable learning system.
Mid Term Verification
The Mid Term A3 confirmed that countermeasures were effective and repeatable. Data showed:
• Man hours per unit dropped from 185 minutes to 160 minutes
• Work balance between stations improved
• Flow interruptions caused by option differences were reduced
• Layout and sequencing changes stabilized material presentation
Time studies and visual charts verified that improvements were being sustained under normal operating conditions.
Final A3 and Standardization
The Final A3 documented how successful countermeasures were standardized. Teams updated:
• Standardized Work charts
• Operator training materials
• Visual controls
• Audit checklists
Daily production data confirmed that gains held even as volume and model mix changed. Before and after charts demonstrated stability across actual operating shifts.
Leadership Learning and Presentation
Leadership development was verified through structured presentations. Core members presented findings, data, and lessons learned to management and cross functional teams. Presentations emphasized explanation of method, not only results. Reflection captured how leaders thought, what they misunderstood, and how their understanding changed.
Reflection Insights
Reflection panels highlighted key learning points:
• Results must be confirmed through data
• Standards must be reviewed and reinforced to hold gains
• Reflection and teaching complete the learning loop
These insights became the starting point for the next Jishuken cycle.
A Continuous Learning Framework
Verification demonstrated that learning sustains progress. When improvements are measured, standardized, and reflected upon, they become part of daily management. This discipline transformed Jishuken from a project based activity into a continuous learning framework that strengthens people, processes, and performance together.
Section 15 – Brantford Jishuken Project (FYE09 Mid-Term A3) Reflection in Action: Testing Countermeasures and Developing Scientific Thinking
Introduction
The Brantford Jishuken Mid-Term A3 for the Fiscal Year Ending 2009 marked the transition from planning to practical application within the Toyota BT Raymond learning structure. This stage focused on testing hypotheses, verifying countermeasures, and developing leadership capability through reflection. The Mid-Term A3 became the mechanism that linked PDCA, standardization, and data based reflection to confirm both process improvement and leadership growth.
Figure 15 – Brantford Jishuken Mid-Term A3 (FYE09): PDCA implementation record documenting countermeasure results, leadership reflection, and data verification during the Brantford Jishuken Project at Toyota BT Raymond.
Verification of Learning through PDCA, Standardization, and Reflection
The Mid-Term A3 demonstrated that learning is confirmed through verification. Each Jishuken study followed the PDCA sequence, but the Mid-Term stage emphasized the Check and Act phases as the primary mechanisms for learning.
By this point, teams had implemented countermeasures identified during the kickoff A3. Time studies and process charts confirmed improvements in cycle balance, material presentation, and ergonomics. The deeper learning came from analyzing how these results were achieved. Leaders saw that improvement required accurate measurement, disciplined follow-up, and sustained review.
The PDCA loop expanded to include leadership learning. Leaders planned the study, conducted experiments, checked results, and acted by teaching what they learned. This approach reinforced the idea that Jishuken develops both technical skill and scientific thinking.
Standardization and Data Based Reflection
Standardization became the visible result of reflection. Once countermeasures proved successful, they were incorporated into Standardized Work charts and combination tables. Each improvement was documented with data and visual examples so that the next Jishuken study could begin from a higher baseline.
The Mid-Term A3 displayed these results with visual layouts and color coded data tables. Improvement was validated by confirmed performance, not by opinion. Reflection sessions compared expected outcomes with actual conditions, reinforcing the principle that decisions must be guided by facts.
Through this method, leaders learned the connection between data, observation, and decision making. Reflection transformed information into insight and strengthened the habit of scientific thinking.
Reflection in Action: Leadership Learning at the Gemba
The Brantford Jishuken Project required leaders to participate directly in observation and verification at the Gemba. Reflection was not treated as a post project activity. It occurred continuously throughout implementation. Each leader maintained notes on observations, corrective actions, and confirmed results.
OMCD trained Sensei facilitated on site discussions, asking participants what they saw, what they expected, and what they learned. These questions revealed gaps in understanding and guided leaders toward deeper analysis. Reflection became active and structured rather than passive and informal.
Developing Scientific Thinking
The purpose of the Mid-Term A3 was to strengthen scientific thinking. Leaders were expected to form hypotheses, test countermeasures, analyze results, and verify conclusions through evidence. Each improvement activity functioned as a small experiment.
Through repetition, leaders internalized this method. They learned that continuous improvement depends on disciplined experimentation rather than intuition. This capability supported Toyota’s objective of developing self reliant problem solvers who can sustain improvement without external instruction.
Integration with Lean TPS Basic Training
The methods used in the Mid-Term A3 became part of Lean TPS Basic Training at BT Raymond. Participants learned to apply PDCA through hands-on studies. Training was delivered at the Gemba, where real conditions made learning practical and immediate.
This approach ensured that leadership development and process improvement advanced together. The A3 became a living classroom where leaders practiced observation, analysis, reflection, and standardization.
Results and Leadership Growth
The Mid-Term A3 produced measurable improvement in flow, line balance, and stability. Data showed reduced variation and more consistent takt achievement. Leadership reflections documented clearer reasoning, better communication, and increased confidence in decision making.
Teams reported that studying at the Gemba changed how they viewed problems. Improvement shifted from reacting to symptoms toward understanding causes. Reflection confirmed that progress occurs only when learning is shared and standardized.
Conclusion
The Brantford Jishuken Mid-Term A3 demonstrated that reflection is not the final stage of improvement. It is a continuous process that connects PDCA with scientific thinking. Through evidence based analysis, standardization, and structured reflection, leaders at Toyota BT Raymond transformed improvement from activity into disciplined learning. This stage verified that progress is sustained when learning is visible, measurable, and repeatable, a core principle of the Thinking People System.
Section 16: Brantford Jishuken Final A3 (FYE09): Consolidating Learning and Verifying Results through Visible Reflection
Introduction
The Brantford Jishuken Final A3 for the Fiscal Year Ending 2009 marked the completion of the first full Jishuken learning cycle at Toyota BT Raymond. This phase confirmed that the combined system of improvement, reflection, and leadership development had become a repeatable practice. The Final A3 integrated verified results, standardized learning, and reflection summaries from all study participants. It created a visible record of how the Jishuken process strengthens both process performance and leadership behavior.
Figure 16: Brantford Jishuken Final A3 (FYE09)
Standardized summary of process improvement, reflection outcomes, and verified results from the Reach Truck Tractor Assembly Jishuken at Toyota BT Raymond.
Consolidating Learning and Verifying Results
The Final A3 compiled all verified findings from the Mid-Term stage. Improvements in takt achievement, man machine balance, and process layout were confirmed through time studies and actual production data. Each improvement was linked to its root cause analysis and validated through Gemba observation.
Leadership reflections were documented alongside technical results. Leaders recorded what they learned about observation, teamwork, data confirmation, and decision making. This connected the technical side of improvement with the human side of leadership development.
The Final A3 demonstrated that improvement becomes sustainable when reflection is standardized. All team members followed the same format for documenting results and learning, allowing process gains and leadership insights to be reviewed together.
Standardization as a Measure of Maturity
In this phase, standardization became the primary indicator of leadership maturity. No improvement was considered complete until a new standard was written, verified, and taught. These standards reinforced the link between process control and leadership accountability.
Visual control boards were created to show takt variance, problem frequency, and follow-up actions. They made performance and learning visible to everyone. This transparency ensured that improvement was not dependent on individuals but embedded into the daily management system.
Visible Reflection and Leadership Verification
The Final A3 emphasized the discipline of visible reflection. Reflection sessions were conducted at the Gemba in front of the A3 boards. Each leader explained their analysis, actions, and learning using verified data and visual examples.
OMCD trained Sensei facilitated these sessions to maintain focus on facts, clarity, and learning. Leaders were expected to describe how they confirmed results, what new standards they had created, and how they planned to sustain the gain. This practice made reflection an accountability process within daily leadership routines.
A Continuous System of Reflection and Growth
By the end of FYE09, the Brantford Jishuken Project had become a continuous learning system. Each A3 built on the previous one, creating a timeline of capability development.
The sequence of Kickoff, Mid-Term, and Final A3s demonstrated that PDCA functions as a spiral rather than a closed loop. Each reflection stage lifted the organization to a higher baseline. The Final A3 documented this upward progression, proving that capability grows when practice and reflection advance together.
Transition to the Next Cycle of Jishuken
The Final A3 concluded with a summary that defined the next study theme. The team identified remaining gaps related to material flow, ergonomic consistency, and communication. These insights became the input for the following fiscal year’s Jishuken.
This transition confirmed that learning continues forward without interruption. Each reflection creates the foundation for the next development cycle, preserving a living memory of improvement and ensuring continuity in leadership learning.
Conclusion
The Brantford Jishuken Final A3 (FYE09) validated the effectiveness of Toyota’s learning framework in North America. It showed that sustained improvement depends on the disciplined connection between PDCA, standardization, and reflection. Through visible reflection, leaders learned to make thinking clear, confirm results with data, and teach what they discovered.
The Final A3 transformed improvement into education. It demonstrated that Jishuken is not only a process improvement method but a leadership development system. Its success at Toyota BT Raymond confirmed that the Thinking People System grows strongest when learning itself becomes the standard.
Section 17 – FYE2016 Jishuken Results: A Lean TPS Approach to Continuous Improvement
Introduction
The 2016 Jishuken Results A3 summarized improvement and leadership development outcomes from BT Raymond, TMHMNA, and associated plants across North America. Each site applied the same structured study method derived from OMCD. The purpose was to confirm that Jishuken could function as a standardized learning system across regions, connecting cost, quality, delivery, safety, and people development within one framework.
The results demonstrated that when practiced consistently, Jishuken becomes a management process that strengthens capability at every level. Improvements were verified through data while leadership growth was confirmed through active participation in daily reflection. This integration defined the Lean TPS approach to continuous improvement.
Figure 17: FYE2016 Jishuken Results – A Lean TPS Approach to Continuous Improvement
2016 results show leadership learning and measurable gains across plants, linking human development to cost and performance.
FYE2016 Jishuken Results: A System for Leadership and Structured Improvement
The 2016 Jishuken Results A3 consolidated data from multiple Toyota North American sites that applied the same structured learning method. Each site followed the Jishuken sequence of theme selection, data collection, analysis, countermeasure testing, reflection, and standardization. This common approach allowed results to be compared and learning to be shared across locations.
The results confirmed that Jishuken had evolved into a standardized management system rather than a project based activity. Each improvement was tied directly to leadership participation, demonstrating that capability building and performance improvement were advancing together.
Human Resource Development Results
FYE2016 marked a shift from isolated improvement events to organization wide capability development. Reflection records showed measurable gains in leadership behavior, including improved observation skill, clearer problem statements, and more consistent coaching.
Supervisors and managers demonstrated increased confidence in leading studies independently. They were able to confirm facts at the Gemba, guide team based analysis, and standardize results without external support. This capability growth reflected the original intent of OMCD: improvement activities must develop people who can sustain TPS principles through practice.
Team and Member Results
The 2016 results documented significant gains in teamwork, participation, and safety. Teams adopted standardized reflection meetings where each study ended with verification of results and confirmation of learning.
Members gained confidence in analyzing variation and implementing countermeasures. Cross functional collaboration deepened as teams studied problems that affected multiple departments. Jishuken created a shared language for analysis and improvement, strengthening alignment and communication across the plant.
Process and Performance Results
Process data showed measurable improvements in takt achievement, material flow, and equipment uptime. Each improvement was tied to a defined learning objective, demonstrating the link between capability building and operational performance.
Visual management boards displayed reductions in variation and improved adherence to Standardized Work. Safety outcomes improved as ergonomic corrections were verified and standardized. The consistency of results across sites confirmed that Jishuken had become a reliable system of improvement.
Reflection as a Management Practice
The FYE2016 cycle elevated reflection from an improvement step to a daily management routine. Reflection became part of leader standard work. Supervisors were responsible for facilitating structured review sessions where facts were discussed, insights captured, and follow up actions assigned.
This discipline reinforced the foundation of Lean TPS. Reflection ensured that every improvement contributed to organizational learning. It created a culture where progress and humility advanced together and where the ability to learn became the measure of leadership maturity.
Integration Across North America
The success of FYE2016 was strengthened through cross site integration. BT Raymond, TMHMNA, and associated facilities exchanged A3 results through joint workshops and regular reflection meetings.
These interactions reinforced the principle of Yokoten, the horizontal transfer of knowledge. Each site learned from the improvement studies of others, ensuring that capability and insight spread quickly across the region. This created a shared network of leadership behavior and problem solving ability rooted in the same TPS principles.
Conclusion
The FYE2016 Jishuken Results proved that continuous improvement in Lean TPS is sustained through learning, reflection, and disciplined study. Toyota BT Raymond, TMHMNA, and connected plants demonstrated that performance improves when leaders think scientifically, confirm facts, and teach what they learn.
The measurable gains in cost, quality, flow, and safety were the visible outcome of an invisible discipline. Behind every improvement stood a leader who had practiced observation, reflection, and verification. This is the essence of the Thinking People System: progress created and sustained by people who learn continuously at the Gemba.
Section 18: The Spiral-Up Model of Learning and Growth: Building a Global Jishuken Learning System
Introduction
The Spiral Up Model of Jishuken Learning represents how continuous improvement grows from plant level studies into global leadership capability. It connects daily improvement, reflection, and standardized learning into a single structure that sustains development across time and geography. This section explains how Toyota integrates the Jishuken method into a self renewing global learning system that links people development, leadership reflection, and knowledge transfer across all levels of the organization.
Figure 18: The Spiral-Up Model of Jishuken Learning – From Plant-Level Study to Global Capability
The Spiral-Up model shows how structured Jishuken learning evolves from local improvements to global leadership capability through reflection and shared learning.
The Spiral Up Model of Learning and Growth
The Spiral Up Model reflects Toyota’s belief that learning is cumulative. Each Jishuken study builds on the one before it, strengthening both technical understanding and leadership maturity. Reflection becomes the bridge between each level of capability.
Learning begins with plant level studies where teams identify problems, confirm data, and stabilize flow. At the departmental and plant wide levels, leaders learn to coordinate complex systems and manage interdependencies. As the organization grows, these localized studies are carried upward through regional and global reflection systems.
Through this upward spiral, local improvements become shared learning, and leadership capability advances together with operational excellence.
Connecting Daily Improvement and Leadership Development
The Spiral Up Model links daily improvement with leadership development. Each Jishuken study becomes a leadership laboratory where participants develop skill in observation, analysis, coaching, and reflection.
Reflection sessions make learning visible. When leaders teach what they have learned, capability spreads naturally through the organization. The spiral rises because knowledge is shared, not stored.
At Toyota BT Raymond, plant level reflection summaries were shared with TMHMNA and TICO. This vertical and horizontal transfer of knowledge ensured that local learning contributed to global capability.
Global Jishuken and Shared Learning Across Regions
As Toyota expanded around the world, OMCD formalized global Jishuken events. Leaders from different regions came together to study common issues, compare results, and reflect as one team.
These global studies reinforced the same principles practiced at the plant level: clarify purpose, confirm facts, and reflect together. Leaders from North America, Europe, and Asia shared A3 results, study reports, and standardization outcomes. This ensured that the principles of Jishuken remained universal while allowing local adaptation of methods.
Learning Ownership and the Lean TPS Basic Training Connection
The Spiral Up Model is supported by Lean TPS Basic Training. Each module teaches the same foundations of problem solving, reflection, and respect for people that are practiced during Jishuken.
Participants take ownership of their learning by applying these principles during real studies. Capability becomes a result of practice rather than position. Leaders demonstrate understanding by teaching others, coaching at the Gemba, and reflecting openly on their own learning.
This connection between Jishuken and Lean TPS Basic Training preserves consistency across sites and generations.
A Global Learning Architecture
The Spiral Up Model functions as a global learning architecture. Each Jishuken study forms one step in a worldwide spiral of capability growth.
Local studies generate knowledge that is documented through A3s and reflection reports. These insights feed into regional collaboration, which strengthens Toyota’s global leadership system. Each cycle renews the organization’s shared understanding and deepens commitment to the core principles of TPS.
The spiral structure highlights that learning never ends. Each level of reflection raises the organization to a higher baseline.
A Self Renewing System of Improvement
The Spiral Up Model ensures that Jishuken remains a living system. Each cycle of study, reflection, and teaching renews capability. New challenges generate new studies. New studies develop new leaders.
By combining improvement with people development, Toyota ensures that learning is active and continuous. The spiral moves upward indefinitely, carrying forward the collective experience of the company.
This is how Toyota sustains continuous improvement through changing markets and generations while preserving the human focus of the Thinking People System.
Conclusion
The Spiral Up Model of Jishuken Learning shows how Toyota connects local improvement with global capability. Through structured study, reflection, and cross regional collaboration, the organization transforms experience into enduring knowledge.
Each Jishuken study contributes to a global library of learning. The spiral rises through every leader who learns, teaches, and reflects at the Gemba. This is Toyota’s global system for continuous improvement, a living learning architecture that grows stronger through practice.
Advancing Leadership through Thinking and Reflection
Section 19: Inspiring Leaders to Drive Jishuken: Building the Thinking Leadership System
Advancing Leadership through Thinking and Reflection
Introduction
The final phase of the Jishuken journey focuses on leadership. Once the structure for learning is in place, its effectiveness depends entirely on the mindset and discipline of the leaders who guide it. Inspiring Leaders to Drive Jishuken represents this principle in practice. Leadership in Lean TPS is not authority or direction. It is active participation in study, reflection, and problem solving. The image shows the actual environment where Jishuken reflection meetings were held at Toyota BT Raymond, where office space was transformed into a learning room.
Within Toyota’s Lean TPS framework, Jishuken is the point where improvement and leadership development meet. Transformation occurs when leaders take ownership of learning, verify conditions at the Gemba, and model a scientific approach to thinking and acting. This section explains how leadership reflection turns structured study into a living system of capability building. It sustains improvement by developing people who can think independently, teach others, and continuously challenge standards.
Figure 19: Inspiring Leaders to Drive Jishuken – Building the Thinking Leadership System
Leadership-driven Jishuken connects reflection, study, and daily improvement within the Lean TPS learning system.
The Leadership Environment for Learning
The environment shown in the image represents the culmination of Lean TPS leadership development. It is where structured improvement became a daily habit at Toyota BT Raymond. The walls were filled with A3 charts, Jishuken diagrams, and Standardized Work references. Every visual was intentional. Each one made leadership thinking visible to everyone in the room.
The meaning of Ji Shu Ken is central to this environment. Ji means self. Shu means mastery. Ken means study. Together they describe a progression from individual responsibility to shared learning. This progression defines Lean TPS leadership. Leaders were expected to participate directly in study cycles, observe real conditions, and ask the right questions. What did you see. Why did it happen. What was learned.
Connecting Leadership Training and Reflection
The Lean TPS Basic Training framework reinforced how leadership development begins with self reflection. The spiral pyramid model shows that leadership learning follows the same sequence as Jishuken. It starts with individual Kaizen and spirals upward toward department, plant, and global level study.
This alignment between the training framework and the physical Jishuken workspace reflected Toyota’s belief that leadership is learned by doing. It is refined through reflection. Every discussion held in this room connected leadership development with process understanding and people development.
Measuring Leadership Growth through Participation
During the Jishuken events, leadership growth was measured through participation and comprehension. The emphasis was on thinking, observation, and teaching ability. Each reflection session ended with written notes that linked observed problems to leadership behaviors. These notes were reviewed collectively to ensure that learning became shared and standardized.
Respect for People and Continuous Improvement were visible throughout the process. These two principles frame every leadership action in Lean TPS, ensuring that improvement always includes a human development outcome.
The Symbolic Evolution of Jishuken Leadership
The image also captures the evolution of Jishuken as it spread across TMHMNA. What began as structured problem solving became a system for leadership development. The visual elements in the room, including the spiral pyramid, the Jishuken definition panel, and the Lean TPS training chart, anchored the learning in Toyota’s history and purpose.
Leadership reflection became the central mechanism for developing people who could sustain improvement independently. The workspace shown in the image was both a functional and symbolic representation of Toyota’s belief that learning grows strongest where reflection is visible and shared.
The Essence of Lean TPS Leadership
Inspiring Leaders to Drive Jishuken represents the essence of Lean TPS leadership. The system develops people before it develops processes. Leaders trained through Jishuken learned to observe with clarity, think scientifically, and reflect deeply. They learned to teach others with respect and to connect improvement with human development.
The success of Jishuken is not measured by cost, charts, or output. It is measured by the visible change in how leaders think and how they lead improvement as part of daily work. This is the foundation of the Thinking People System.
Section 20 – Lean TPS Basic Training: From Kaizen Thinking to Global Jishuken
Introduction
Lean TPS Basic Training provides the structured foundation for every Jishuken development cycle. It illustrates how individual learning becomes team capability and then organizational strength. The image “Lean TPS Basic Training: From Kaizen Thinking to Global Jishuken” presents the full learning pathway, connecting training modules with leadership participation, reflection, and advanced study.
Within Toyota’s learning architecture, Jishuken functions at the top of the spiral, but it can only operate effectively when built on the disciplined structure of Lean TPS Basic Training. This section explains how the training system develops people, standardizes learning, and links every stage of improvement to measurable leadership growth.
Figure 20: Lean TPS Basic Training – From Kaizen Thinking to Global Jishuken
Structured training framework connecting individual learning, reflection, and leadership development across the Lean TPS learning system.
Building the Foundation for Jishuken
The training system shown in the image presents the full Lean TPS Basic Training structure as used at Toyota BT Raymond. Each module builds upon the previous one, creating a progressive development path from basic understanding to applied improvement.
The training board integrates classroom study, Gemba participation, and management review. Every visual element, including schedules, charts, and completion graphs, was designed to make learning transparent and measurable. This structure connects employee participation, leadership engagement, and reflection as the building blocks for readiness to participate in Jishuken.
Training Structure and Module Progression
Lean TPS Basic Training includes modular content designed to support both hourly and salary employees. Each module represents a distinct stage of learning and is visually organized for clarity and accessibility.
Module 1 – Introduction to TPS (Employee and Salary)
Establishes a shared foundation in Toyota Production System principles, emphasizing Respect for People and Continuous Improvement.
Module 2 – Muda
Teaches how to identify and categorize waste through observation and fact based analysis.
Module 3 – Standardized Work
Focuses on stability, repeatability, and the balance of man, machine, and material through time study and work combination.
Module 4 – Kaizen
Introduces team based problem solving using the PDCA cycle and measurable improvement.
Module 5 – Jidoka
Explains built in quality, Andon response, and leadership accountability for abnormality management.
Module 6 – Just in Time
Connects synchronized flow with customer demand and reinforces the relationship between timing, process balance, and leadership coordination.
Module 7 – Application
Provides application at the Gemba through Kaizen activities, reflection sessions, and leadership coaching.
5S Simulation and Nut and Bolt Demonstration
Reinforces visual organization and participation through hands on simulation.
This sequence ensures that participants gain not only knowledge but also the discipline of application and reflection that prepares them for Jishuken.
Connecting Training to Leadership Practice
The training board visualizes how learning is scheduled, monitored, and reinforced through leadership engagement.
Key elements include:
Master Schedule that displays the annual training timeline and completion status by department
Management Committee Training Dates that align leadership learning with the modules
Shift Based Schedules that allow training participation without disrupting production
TPS Training Pie Chart that shows completion and retention rates
This structure ensures that training and leadership development progress together. Leaders are required to teach what they have learned, creating a continuous cycle of learning, application, and coaching.
From Classroom Learning to Gemba Application
Lean TPS Basic Training bridges theory and practice. After each module, participants apply the learning at the Gemba by observing actual conditions and participating in small improvement activities. Reflection sessions follow each exercise to convert experience into understanding.
At Toyota BT Raymond, these reflections became part of leadership standard work. Supervisors and managers reviewed how each module influenced daily behavior and process performance. This link between training and application strengthened the understanding that leadership development begins with learning to see, act, and teach where the work occurs.
Integration with Jishuken and Continuous Learning
Lean TPS Basic Training feeds directly into Jishuken. Employees who complete the modules are prepared to contribute effectively to departmental, plant wide, and global study activities. The upward spiral shown in the training visual represents how individual knowledge expands into collective capability.
As leaders progress through Jishuken, they continue to use the same reflection methods introduced in the training modules. This connection between foundational learning and advanced study ensures that Toyota’s improvement culture remains consistent and self sustaining.
A Living System for Leadership Development
The Lean TPS Basic Training board acts as a living management system. It serves as a coordination tool and a visual record of progress. Each update documents organizational learning and tracks how training participation influences leadership maturity and process performance.
The system reinforces accountability by requiring leaders to confirm that training is applied through observation and coaching. This expectation strengthens the link between learning, practice, and reflection, turning training into measurable leadership behavior.
Conclusion
Lean TPS Basic Training is the foundation that supports every advanced learning structure, including Jishuken. It provides the discipline, reflection, and shared understanding needed to develop people who can sustain improvement independently.
At Toyota BT Raymond, the integration of training, leadership participation, and reflection created a living model of the Thinking People System. By connecting classroom learning with Gemba study, the organization demonstrated that continuous improvement begins with continuous teaching.
Lean TPS Basic Training develops thinking people first. It ensures that every improvement cycle builds capability and that every leadership decision is rooted in learning. This foundation allows the upward spiral of Jishuken to grow and connect Kaizen, reflection, and leadership development into one continuous system.
Final: Lean TPS Basic Training: From Learning to Leadership
Lean TPS Basic Training represents far more than a classroom curriculum. It is the visible structure that builds leadership capability through disciplined learning, reflection, and participation. Every Jishuken result, every improvement project, and every act of leadership accountability begins with this foundation.
At Toyota BT Raymond, what began as a wall of training charts evolved into a model for how organizations can visualize and sustain capability development. The training system became a living framework where 5S Thinking, Kaizen, and Jishuken connect through standardized education and structured reflection. The upward spiral of learning that leads from 5S to global Jishuken begins with shared understanding, participation, and visible confirmation of progress.
Lean TPS Basic Training creates alignment between people, purpose, and performance. It transforms improvement from isolated activities into a unified development system that produces capable and confident leaders. The modules and reflection cycles provide every employee, from team member to executive, with the tools to see, act, and teach scientifically at the Gemba.
Leadership becomes measurable through this structure. The same PDCA rhythm that governs process improvement also governs learning. Plan the lesson. Apply the principle. Check for understanding. Act by teaching others. Over time, this rhythm creates confidence, accountability, and a shared standard of thinking across the organization.
Lean TPS Basic Training is the foundation of the Thinking People System, a disciplined approach that develops people before process. It ensures that every improvement cycle builds capability and that every leader models the behaviors required for sustainable success.
This training system demonstrates how organizations can strengthen their improvement culture by developing leaders who think scientifically and act with respect. Lean TPS Basic Training provides the structure and clarity needed to sustain continuous improvement and to prepare people for advanced study through Jishuken.
Partner with LeanTPS to Develop Leadership through Structured Improvement
Lean TPS Basic Training connects Kaizen Thinking to global Jishuken. Through hands-on modules, visual strategy systems, and leadership reflection, it provides a complete framework for developing thinking people.
LeanTPS offers structured improvement and leadership development programs tailored to organizations that want to build sustainable capability, not temporary results. This approach strengthens learning through direct observation, verified data, and disciplined reflection at the Gemba.
Begin your journey toward the Thinking People System by establishing the same foundation that has supported Toyota for decades. Learning, reflection, and leadership in action form the core of sustainable improvement and the development of capable people.