TABLE OF CONTENTS We get brilliant results from average people managing brilliant processes. Our competitors get average results from brilliant people managing broken processes.
Hajime Ohba
Bob Neurath is determined to assure Beta's continuing improvement and prosperity, and to slowly change the culture of the organization. Despite exceptional progress in the past few years, Beta's performance at present is simply not good enough. When their performance improvement began under his tenure they were "at the crest of a trough." There was nowhere to go but up (or out). Now they must strive for becoming the very best. A major worry is that precisely because they have made major gains, some of his management team is becoming more comfortable with their current performance, which in fact is only mediocre. Mediocrity cannot be Beta's standard of excellence.
His strategy for achieving a much higher standard is to expect excellence, and to rigorously apply the following fundamentals:
Align the organization. While great strides have been made, much better alignment is needed throughout the organization. There is still too much "silo" behavior functional managers having greater loyalty to their personal interests than they do to corporate interests. Superordinate goals must be created and repeatedly communicated; and he and his management team must "walk the talk." Those that don't will not stand. Bob believes that Toyota's superordinate goals are suited to Beta, although he recognizes they will take years to inculcate those into the organization's "DNA." Beta must have a long-term philosophy and strategy with the...
