What Sets Toyota Apart?

Below is a Toyota expression that I love… and this is a
statement that could apply in any type of organization, don’t you
think? When people ask me, “How can this Toyota stuff apply to a
hospital?”, I think this statement covers the foundation of it
pretty well:

“Every Toyota team member is
empowered with the ability to improve their work environment. This
includes everything from quality and safety to the environment and
productivity. Improvements and suggestions by team members are the
cornerstone of Toyota’s success.”

It works just as well for a mythical Keller Community Hospital (a
hospital that doesn’t exist, but I’m starting to use it as an
example of the hospital that I would want in my community):

“Every Keller Community Hospital team member is
empowered with the ability to improve their work environment. This
includes everything from quality and safety to the environment and
productivity. Improvements and suggestions by team members are the
cornerstone of Keller Community Hospital’s
success.”

I had such a good afternoon yesterday, visiting a real client of
mine (a hospital laboratory) that has really embraced the above
principle better than any I’ve ever worked with. They’ve expanded
“Lean Management System” concepts (from my book and David Mann’s

Creating a Lean Culture: Tools to Sustain Lean
Conversions)
throughout the different areas of the lab — clinical lab, blood
bank, microbiology, and anatomic pathology. Employees are engaged
in submitting and implementing their ideas, improvements are
celebrated and posted visually, and performance measures are
tracked, posted, and discussed daily in short team huddles.

I saw suggestions implemented that impacted employee safety,
productivity, quality, and getting test results to patients and
physicians more quickly. Every employee has the opportunity to
participate in improvement. It’s such a great thing to see,
watching people explain what changes they’ve made and seeing the
pride on their faces.

Now, to spread that throughout the hospital… and the rest of
healthcare.