“First we build people, then we build cars.”

“First we build people, then we build cars.”

Fujio Cho

A great quote by a great leader.

So, should we start classroom training to train as many people as possible?

No.

First, as a leader, go to Genba to understand the conflicts that hinder development or drive current behavior. For example, a factory was struggling to meet customer demand. After several Kaizen events, production began to meet demand. But the people didn’t look happy. When I asked why, they said, “We were told to work overtime even though we were meeting the takt time.” I asked the plant manager why we were working overtime. His response was, “The warehouse is empty.”

The full warehouse was the problem. Production was always overproducing to fill the warehouse but underproducing what the market needed at the time.

Don’t get me wrong. This plant manager was very cooperative. He allowed us to run small batches and frequent changeovers. He was always at the Genba. But only then did he realize his behavior was the problem. He was completely ashamed and said, “I am the root cause…”

Second, make sure your direct reports and subsequent managers understand as well. There are many broken telephone games. At one factory, TPS training was conducted in the classroom. One operator found it interesting and pulled the Andon cord. After a long delay without a response, the supervisor came over and yelled at the operator. “Don’t pull the Andon!” From that moment on, he thought we were lying. The meaning of the training was completely lost.

It is easy for a message to be misunderstood as it moves through an organization. Leaders say one thing, managers interpret it differently, supervisors act under pressure, and operators experience the reality. The result can be a game of telephone.

That is why leaders must create a cascading learning model. It is not enough to train only the top level and assume the message will be communicated accurately. Each level must understand not only the words but also the intent behind them. Leaders must go to the Genba to confirm that the message is being applied correctly.

Building people also does not mean creating copycats.

This is another common misunderstanding. Some organizations try to “teach TPS” by teaching people to copy tools: Kanban, Andon, 5S, standardized work, visual management, one-piece flow, and so on. These tools are useful, but copying them is not the same as developing people.

If people only learn to copy, improvement will stop as soon as the environment changes.

Real people development means helping people learn to think. It means helping them understand problems deeply, test ideas, reflect on results, and adjust to reality. It means developing the capability to change, not just the ability to repeat what someone else has done.

Toyota did not become strong because people memorized tools. Toyota became strong because people learned to solve problems.

That distinction matters.

A copycat waits for the correct answer. A problem solver studies the situation.

A copycat asks, “What tool should we use?” A problem solver asks, “What problem are we trying to solve?”

A copycat looks for a best practice to imitate. A problem solver looks for the gap between the current and desired conditions.

If we only create copycats, we may get temporary improvement. But if we build thinkers, improvement can continue in any environment.

This does not mean classroom training is useless. Classroom training can be very effective, but only when the right environment is ready.

Classroom training can help people understand principles, language, history, and frameworks. It can create a shared foundation. It can accelerate learning when people already have a place to apply what they are learning.

But classroom training should support real-world practice. It should never replace leadership behavior.

Before we start training everyone, we must ask ourselves some important questions:

Are leaders going to the Genba?

Are managers removing the conflicts that prevent the right behavior from happening?

Are supervisors prepared to support what is being taught?

Are people allowed to expose problems without fear?

Are we developing thinkers, or only teaching people to copy tools?

Are our systems aligned with our message?

If the answer is no, additional training may only create more confusion. People may learn the TPS terms but experience the opposite in daily work. They may hear about respecting people, yet feel pressured to hide problems. They may hear about continuous improvement, yet see leaders protect old behaviors.

In that situation, training does not build trust. It damages trust.

“First we build people, then we build cars” is not a slogan about training programs. It is a statement about leadership responsibility.

Building people means creating the conditions in which people can learn. It means aligning systems, behaviors, expectations, and daily management. It also means that leaders must be willing to see reality, admit when their own behavior creates problems, and remove the obstacles that prevent people from doing the right thing.

Only then does classroom training become powerful.

Only then can people truly learn TPS.

And only then can an organization build not just better processes, but better problem solvers.