One of the most enduring challenges to any business in any era is that of workforce engagement. Creating strong teamwork and morale is the essence of leadership, while skill development is needed to make leadership an effective part of the organization’s success strategy, especially on the front lines where supervisors and managers interact with employees who provide the real value to customers. The TWI training programs were developed during WWII in the USA to provide those needed skills to motivate the workforce, including women entering factories and shipyards for the first time ever, to do the production work needed to win the war. The programs are still working today as they were originally designed and are getting the same spectacular results.
This book provides a detailed guide map for an organization to navigate the cultural changes needed for the TWI programs to become a natural part of everyday work, as they are at any Toyota facility today. It is not enough just to say that the TWI training programs are good; they must be well presented and supported if the organization is to change its leadership behaviors, person by person, for the better. The book provides multiple case studies from banner companies that are successfully making these cultural changes and utilizing the TWI programs to their full potential. Much more than simply describing the training programs themselves, this book provides models and advice for the necessary preparation and development of critical organizational functions to sustain the implementation effort and reap the benefits over the long term. This book presents a holistic overview of the TWI elements and how they work together to create the foundation for true standardization of work, the key element to successful Lean.