Trust Tour

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Come on Toyota, not you! You are the guys that are supposed to be showing us the way! I trusted you… but here we go again, one more corporation hiding the truth. The WSJ and BBC tell me two cars I own may have accelerators that stick and brakes with a computer glitch. Worse, it sure looks like you have not been forthright in telling me about it. Now you are in the unenviable position of trying to manage a massive breakdown in trust. Yes, the recall will cost a great deal but now you are losing even more in goodwill. There is no way to measure this kind of long term damage.

There is forgiveness for human error but great distain for not communicating it, that is inexcusable. You are the world leader in integrity and quality… how did this happen?

My understanding of your corporate history is that after World War II General Douglas MacArthur put together a plan to help rebuild Japan. He sent over statistician W. Edwards Deming, a name destined to become synonymous with quality. Deming educated the Toyota management team with his concepts. In fact, Dr. Shoichiro Toyoda, Chairman of Toyota, said, “everyday I think about what Deming has meant to us, he is the core of our management philosophy… he is an invaluable teacher… playing an indispensable role in the development and revitalization of postwar Japan.” The rest is history, Deming became the father of the quality movement and Toyota became the number one auto manufacturer in the world.

I had a chance to spend a little time with Deming in 1993. He was in Richmond, Virginia and it was his birthday. Just before leaving, I remember him handing me his book and looking me in the eye and saying,”good luck.” I felt like he was passing on the mantle , trying keep his work alive. It was a poignant moment, here he was in his wheelchair, oxygen in his nose trying to do his best to keep getting the message out, squeezing that lemon for every drop, amazing. A few days later he died. I decided right there that given the chance I would do the same with my life and try to give my best right up to my last day. Deming was considered not only to be a brilliant strategist but a kind and caring man. He would be very disapointed with what is happening at Toyota today, not only the breakdown in the quality process but the breakdown in leadership.

Toyota, I have seen glimmers of hope in the last few days, I believe that you can do the right thing. We need you to stand up and lead., if that happens, I just might be back.

OK …You heard my opinion. What do you think? Is Toyota guilty of doing nothing or is it all about nothing? Comment below and remember to take the Toyota Trust Poll.

How much do you Trust Toyota?

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