- All
- Standardisation
- TK Advancing Knowledge
- TK Coaching Development
- TK Foundational Knowledge
- TK Mastery
- TK Skill Development
- TWI Advancing Knowledge
- TWI Coaching Development
- TWI Foundational Knowledge
- TWI Mastery
- TWI Skill Development
Why does Training Within Industry (TWI) matter; what is it?
Providing essential skills of leadership for managers, supervisors and team leads
A good frontline leader will be getting what should be done, when it should be done, the way they need it done by people who want it that way. Such a frontline leader will be well on the way to standardisation. The very best companies recognise the pivotal role played by their frontline leaders and are continually aiming for and supporting standardisation.
Training Within Industry (TWI)
Providing essential skills of leadership for managers, supervisors and team leads
Since TWI was identified by the War and Manpower Commission in the 1940s many things have changed. The five needs haven’t and are easy to see in the people we refer to as ‘very effective leaders’. What are these needs that we require anyone who directs the work of others to exhibit daily?
Training Within Industry (TWI) Job Relations
A countermeasure for leaders when they see or anticipate ‘Won’t/didn’t do, isn't doing’.
At the centre of Job Relations is ‘results through people’. A leader in any situation being work, sport or conflict such as the World Wars, cannot get the results themselves. If we try (‘easier to do it myself’) we will become quickly overburdened, quickly finding that it is impossible. There is only one choice; create real followers who by nature will trust us, cooperate with us, and provide us with honest feedback.
Training Within Industry (TWI) Job Instruction
A countermeasure for leaders when they see or anticipate ‘Doesn’t know, can’t do’.
Nearly every person will find a way to do a task that is new to them. Be sure, they will find a way, but it may well not be the way that ensures quality, safety and productivity. Job Instruction is a proven way of quickly training employees to do tasks the way you need them done – correctly, safely and conscientiously.
Training Within Industry (TWI) Job Methods
A countermeasure for leaders when they see or anticipate ‘Hard to do’.
At the centre of Job Methods is making the best use of resources available now. It is the skill of studying how the work is happening and then, in a systematic and logical way, proposing and establishing a less risky, easier, perhaps more reliable way of doing it in order to get the required outcomes.
TWI Knowledge Certification is a flexible on-line program providing precursory Training Within Industry knowledge to accelerate individual and organisational results.
This program offers video lessons and certifying questions identified by TWI Institute Senior Master Trainer Patrick Graupp. Upon successful completion of all questions you will receive your TWI Knowledge Certificate.
Job Relations (JR)
Building positive employee relations, increasing cooperation and motivation, and effectively resolving conflict.
Outcome: Participants (maximum 10 per group) will be able to strengthen relationships through habits centred on the Four Foundations of Good Relations. When people problems do arise, they will be able to handle them effectively and efficiently via the JR 4-step method.
Job Instruction (JI)
Train employees to quickly remember how to do a job correctly,
safely and conscientiously.
Outcome: Participants (maximum 10 per group) will be able to plan skill based training for their department (driven by production and people needs), prepare training documents, and train a learner via the JI 4-step method.
Training Within Industry (TWI) and ‘Lean’
Providing capability in three core lean concepts.
Respect for people, standard work and continuous improvement have long been understood to be integral, overlapping and essential ‘ingredients’ in any organisation that sustains lean.
Toyota Kata and Training within Industry (TWI)
Practicing the Improvement Kata pulls the need for the three “J” skills of TWI.
A “pull system” describes a situation where what’s happening is only happening when the downstream “operation” needs it to be happening. Experimentation in step 4 of the Improvement Kata pulls in tools and skills. From time to time these skills will be Job Relations (JR), Job Instruction (JI) and Job Methods (JM). Further, as a whole, JR skills are synergistic with the Toyota Kata habits.
Job Methods (JM)
A practical plan to help you produce greater quantities of quality products in less time.
Outcome: Participants (maximum 10 per group) will be able to break down jobs into their individual steps and question every detail in a systematic manner thus generating ideas for improvement. They will then be able to develop and implement new methods through eliminating, combining, rearranging, and simplifying steps in the job.
Training Within Industry (TWI) Institute Train the Trainer Programs (Trainer Certification)
Building your capability in training others in TWI skills and Toyota Kata patterns.
One of the key tenets of Lean is building standardised work – the best known way today. The Institute applies this in all we do including the trainer certification process. All trainers certified through the Institute use the successful TWI delivery methods developed during WWII and repeatedly proven throughout the years.
Following Training – The Coaching and Mentoring
Changing results through building people capability.
Be careful of thinking that all that needs to be done is train someone and they will do it. Particularly with adults, actions displaying competence often take time to develop and it is multi-faceted meaning competence is a combination of things. And at the day’s end, in order for there to be sustained acts of competence, there must be a positive outcome for the learner.
‘Standardised Work’ from the source
As with ‘Chinese whispers’, the message changes over time…
After spending a week with Mr Isao Kato, Mr Taichi Ono’s HR advisor, in Japan at the end of October 2019 it became clear that common understanding of standardised work has developed many shades of grey. When provided with Mr Kato’s Step Up Reference Model we realised most of us are at or not much beyond the first step. That was daunting. The good news is a tremendous amount of value can be gained from undertaking just the lower steps.
TWI Problem Solving
Solving complex problems involving people and process.
Daily results in the basics of quality, quantity, cost and safety often don’t meet the expected standard. Things impede these results, very rarely through intent. Adding complexity to the situation is that usually the impedance is not a result of a single factor, rather a mix of factors coming together at the one time. 5-Whys leading to a singular cause may be misleading?
TWI Mastery (Savannah, 20 February 2019)
The Oxford Dictionary defines mastery as comprehensive knowledge or skill in a particular subject or activity. ‘Comprehensive’ means?
The first TWI Masters Meetup was held in Savannah GA on Wednesday 20 February 2019 just before the annual TWI Summit. The purpose was to gain insight into the question ‘What might TWI Mastery look like?’ (The longer term view was to lay a foundation for future meetups.)
Decoding the DNA of the Toyota Production System
Spear and Bowen, 1999
What an insightful document from 21 years ago! Mike Rother mentions this paper on page 7 of “Toyota Kata” (2009). Take a look at the fourth of “The Four Rules” in the grey box on page 98 of the 10 pages of text.
Why Does Toyota Kata Matter? What is it?
A way of developing the systematic pursuit of desired conditions by utilising human capabilities in a concerted way.
Most companies are lead, managed and populated by thoughtful, hardworking people who want their team, their organisation, to succeed. So what is it that makes organisations fall behind and sometimes fail? The conclusion is it’s not the people but rather the prevailing management system within which we work that is the culprit. We need a more effective way of leading and managing people, and of ensuring our organisations find their way into the future. Through an initially structured pathway provided by the Toyota Kata patterns, the combination of scientific thinking and deliberate practice drives a cycle of “Think, Do, Learn” to meet business goals.
“The best short introduction to Toyota Kata I’ve seen.”
Mike Rother
“The best short introduction to Toyota Kata I’ve seen.”
Mike Rother
Toyota Kata
Developing the skills to adapt and thrive in today’s dynamic marketplace.
The need for change is inevitable these days. Competitors emerge, customers have new needs, and new technologies come along. How must your organisation think and behave in order to continue to be successful amidst unpredictability?
Toyota Kata Knowledge Certification is a flexible on-line program providing precursory Toyota Kata knowledge to accelerate individual and organizational results.
This program offers video lessons and certifying questions identified by TWI Institute Toyota Kata Master Trainers and affiliate Trainers. Upon successful completion of all questions you will receive your Toyota Kata Knowledge Certificate.
People often ask “have you got a presentation we can use that helps communicate what “Toyota Kata” is about?”
But Mike Rother often says “Hoping to create new behaviours by explaining or trying to convince people doesn’t really work. The explanation may be correct, but it doesn’t change us.” Perhaps consider Kata in the Classroom as a means of starting a conversation about the potential value of the Toyota Kata patterns.
Agile and Toyota Kata
Did you know that ‘Agile’ began outside of IT? Further, Agile shouldn’t really be viewed as a methodology; it is a mindset, a set of behaviours.
With this in mind it is not surprising that a kata will be the best way to develop such behaviours. For good reason, the Toyota Kata patterns fit hand in glove with Agile.
Toyota Kata and TWI Simulation
A participatory simulation that helps you identify what capabilities your company needs to practice and develop.
It is much easier to communicate what to expect via experience and illustration as opposed to just ‘telling’. Our simulations fit well with the saying ‘a picture paints a thousand words’. You will better understand through what you see, say and do.
What is scientific thinking?
Scientific thinking is different to the ‘scientific method’.
The four steps of the Improvement Kata parallel a scientific approach. Further, at step 4 of the Improvement Kata – Experiment toward the Target Condition – the learner needs to be thinking scientifically. The Coaching Kata is a way of helping a person develop a ‘scientific thinking approach’ to improvement through small ‘obstacle addressing steps’ connected to what has just been learnt.
Unleashing Scientific Thinking Through the Meta-Pattern of the Improvement Kata
Scientific thinking can be a powerful driver of progress, a powerful driver of Lean; many applications exist including the Improvement Kata.
The Improvement Kata/Coaching Kata approach is a meta-pattern that gets us to use the reps we need to unleash any application of scientific thinking.
Getting Started with Work Standards
The What, Why and Practicing How.
With our guidance you will practice Work Standards development – your robust foundation for your program of Standardised Work. You will learn of and apply proven principles (as opposed to mimicking other systems). Mr Isao Kato’s quote – ‘Without Work Standards there will be no standardised work’ will make very good sense.
Scientific Thinking – Get Or Keep Going Now
In times of uncertainty you can’t pause. You still need to work on
obstacles stopping you reaching your Target Condition, right NOW.
We know Toyota Kata patterns are a sound way to develop scientific thinking skills necessary for effective and efficient adaptation. And we need that now… we should be striving for our goals. Through this live online ‘Kata Practise’ program you will develop your skills; face to face with us, you will participate.
Toyota Kata ’10-Hour’
Your people striving to where the organisation needs to be.
Outcome: Participants (maximum 10 per group) will be able to facilitate the application of the Improvement Kata and confidently practice the Coaching Kata as a means of moving learners through step 4 (of the Improvement Kata). As with the TWI J programs, the emphasis throughout is on “start learning by doing”.
Workplace Experimenting – ‘Practical’ PDCA
What you will get: A person who can plan a workplace experiment, do it, compare their prediction to what happened, then use what they learned.
Assumption of competency in conducting workplace experiments may be flawed. This is not criticism of individuals. It’s a reflection and may in part be due to falling into the trap of overcomplicating things.
Job Relations for Toyota Kata Coaches
Combining the thought patterns of Job Relations and the Improvement and Coaching Katas makes sense.
Reality is that people have limited time for improvement activities and results need to be generated and sustained. Improvement is more effective and efficient when the coaches are constantly thinking of the learners and other stakeholders as individuals and recognising that improvement in results happens only through people.
Skillpoint Workshops
A unique, innovative and accelerated approach to learning.
Skillpoint workshops focus on intensive learning and practise of TWI Job Instruction or Toyota Kata through a 3½ or 3 day immersion into a simulated world of lean and continuous improvement. The ‘work environment’ is as near to real as you will get.
Decoding the DNA of the Toyota Production System
Spear and Bowen, 1999
What an insightful document from 21 years ago! While at no point is TWI mentioned specifically it is implicit throughout. In particular note the grey box titled “How Toyota’s Workers Learn the Rules” on page 99 of the 10 pages of text.