Leaderboard

Harada Method is a lean improvement method, developed by Takashi Harada, that targets “Enterprise Performance Improvement”, through daily employee coaching initiatives and, augmented motivation routines. Lean Methods attempt to preempt waste removal before actually being produced in process. The Harada Method helps individuals leap ahead towards self-reliance, by targeting reduction of the eighth lean waste, “under-utilized talent”, through “a five-step approach”. To initiate a foundation, let’s start with two Japanese terms, associated with the method-- Monozukuri and Hitozukuri Monozukuri: refers to sense of craftsmanship. The method propagates that employees can reach excellence in work by taking pride in their work. An endeavour should be made by employees to strive for continuous improvement. Hitozukuri refers to continuous process of helping people excel in work and achieving excellence in tasks and skills. Hitozukuri advocates that people need to be trained on skills, tasks required to set their own work targets. The employees then are encouraged to attain the performance targets, set by employees for themselves. Harada method propounds that the employees can achieve Monozukuri through Hitozukuri. The method envisions a five-step approach to plan for skill achievement, initiate improvement in task and reach excellence in a skill: 1. Premeditation: Defining the skill, a worker would like to improve upon. 2. Personal excellence: meeting excellence in desired skill and task. 3. Goal setting: participating in goal planning sessions with mentor, coaches, managers to reach mastery in a skill. 4. Selfless service: applying new learning with utmost dedication to production. 5. Self-reliance: exert self-effort into production, and develop self-reliance with competency. Above five action-points are realized by starting with an introspection session on the purpose of work, between employee and coaches/trainer. A task, skill and goal are identified, where competency may be mastered by the company employee. An in-depth analysis of strengths and weakness helps deconstruct preparedness required, to attain mastery. A worker or participant is required to list out 64 small steps to gain expertise the requisite work-domain, in precise time horizon. A 64 charts box is constructed to “list and grid” 64 key identified ideas in a 3*3 matrix depicted here-under: In training interaction, employees are made to introspect about meaning for self-reliance for themselves. An employee is made aware about Mental Wellness, Skill technique n style, Physical Health endurance, Life aspects at work and outside of work. These four frontiers of human existence are discussed, with employee’s past performance and future expected performance on paper, during learning sessions. Basis the discussion, goal, purpose and targeted goal completion time line as a part of training plan are discussed and, finalized for the employee. New routines are identified, prioritized in order of importance and urgency. An employee is made aware about new daily routines and “time framed goals”, that an employee is expected to complete in sequenced time duration. The completion timeline is estimated for each routine, with completion date defined for each targeted goal, actionable idea and new routine. Managers and employees are encouraged to record their daily progress on trajected improvement plan and training sessions, in a progress dairy maintained by the employee. Harada Method is keenly followed by Toyota Motors through adaptation of logo “making things is making people” (Monozukuri wa hitozukuri) or “develop people and then build products” in Toyota Production System. Harada Method is ingrained in Toyota Lean methodology as Leader standard work. The structure encompasses a shift from “thinking results” to “results and process” by translating focus on process, into a concrete expectation from leader’s job performance.