Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) plans to change its executive lineup and revise its organizational structure in January 2019 to further advance its “acceleration of management” and the development of a diverse and talented workforce. Additionally, in view of the fast pace of change in the environment currently surrounding Toyota, TMC plans to advance the timing of executive changes from the traditional April to January, in 2019, just as it did in 2018.
TMC President Akio Toyoda had the following to say about the changes announced today
“Amid advances in technological innovation in the new domain of CASE*, the very concept of the automobile is on the verge of undergoing transformation. I believe there are expectations that tomorrow’s cars, by being linked to communities and various services to become part of the societal system, will make people’s lives more prosperous.
“For this, it is necessary to spread future mobility not as concepts but in the real world. That is to say, we need the ability to make things real.
“I believe that Toyota’s strength is found in its striving―from vehicle development, production, and sales to after-sales service―to achieve ever-better cars, as well as in its ability to make things real, based on the spirit of always wanting to be better and better in the real world, with an unwavering commitment to daily improvements and technological innovation.
“The revisions to our organizational structure are designed, by reducing the number of structural layers, to allow rebirth into a Toyota that is able to reach conclusions more swiftly, make prompt decisions, and take immediate action faster than ever.
“Executives will create visions of the future society of mobility and then decide the direction. The aim is for them to go straight to where the action takes place and to make their visions a reality through genchi genbutsu with senior professionals/senior management and other members of the frontline.
“At our 2016 general ordinary shareholders’ meeting, I borrowed the words ‘super second-best’ from Osamu Mihara, who was manager of Japanese professional baseball’s (now-defunct) Nishitetsu Lions. Players with second-to-none mastery who are dedicated and focused, and who continuously hustle and bring out their best when it counts to save the team… Mihara was said to have cherished such players, whom he called ‘super second-best’.
“People who view themselves as ‘second-best’ untiringly hone their skills or techniques and, backed by the spirit of always wanting to be better and better, continuously try hard. And when their colleagues or subordinates don’t know what to do or are having a hard time, super ‘second-best’ people show them how it’s done. I believe it is through doing such things again and again every day that people hone their ‘human ability’ and grow into professionals who excel in their fields, and into workplace leaders.
“To survive an era of turbulence and be able to continue to grow sustainably, I believe that nothing is more important than creating a corporate climate in which professionals who excel at what they do can freely play a role in responding to management issues as they arise, regardless of age or educational background.”
SOURCE: Toyota
