The Drucker difference and Toyota’s success [the broken link was removed] by Ira A. Jackson, dean of the Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management, the business school of the Claremont Colleges.
Because of this core belief in the power of people, Toyota invests in people. And at the same time, the company has come to realize that when people grapple with opposing views
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Embrace contradictions as a way of life. Sticking to old practices can lead to rigidity. Be fluid.Develop routines to resolve contradictions. As the authors note, “Unless companies teach employees how to deal with problems rigorously and systematically, they won’t be able to harness the power of contradictions.” Toyota has a number of tools including the well-known ask-why-five-times practice and the Plan-Do-Check-Act model.
Encourage employees to voice their opinions even if they are contrary. The people in top management must be open to hearing critical comments from employees and listening to opposing views if they want to engender new ideas and new ways of doing things.
Related: Drucker Opinion Essays from the WSJ – Deming and Toyota – Management Pioneer Peter Drucker – The Contradictions That Drive Toyota’s Success – Extreme Toyota: Radical Contradictions That Drive Success at the World’s Best Manufacturer
