The Toyota Engagement Equation: How to Understand and Implement Continuous Improvement Thinking in Any Organization

Introduction

Our purpose for writing this book is to share what we learned as Toyota employees during a very special event in history—the start-up years of Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Kentucky (TMMK), Toyota’s first wholly owned North American factory.

This was a watershed moment for Toyota—here the company was establishing a foothold in the world’s largest and most competitive market. To ensure success, Toyota’s leaders exceeded even their own high standards for developing people.

As many readers are aware, Toyota was also engaged in a joint venture with General Motors called New United Motor Manufacturing (NUMMI). In that initiative, Toyota ...