Source of Photo : AP
The last several days has been consumed with news from Japan after a magnitude 8.9 earthquake and devastating tsunami. My company OFS is owned by FEC, a Japanese manufacturer, so I have been in touch with a number of colleagues since this disaster. We have been fortunate that no employees in have been injured in this incident. We have several plants that have been shut down since Friday with mostly infrastructure issues.
In Lean we talk of two main components: Continuous Improvement and Respect for People. In Toyota, Respect for People extends past the staff of the company to the community. Toyota strives to assist the communities where we live and work by supporting local organizations focused on the areas of environment, education and safety. They believe this is there social responsibility and part of their long term (50 years or more) thinking.
In my experience Toyota and other Japanese manufacturers have given us a powerful business system in Lean Thinking. This selfless sharing has transformed manufacturing in the US and around the world. Maybe it is my personal connection but I feel we have this opportunity to give back in their time of need.
I encourage you to consider donating to the American Red Cross. There are a number of other organizations that you can donate to as well. It is important to pick a charity that has worked on the ground in Japan for a long time to avoid getting scammed.
Show your support for the Japanese people by practicing the important Respect For People principle. Many of my colleagues in the Lean community have advocated support for Japan demonstrating we truly our a community.
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