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The Lean Post / Articles / Mutual Assistance Teamwork

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Operations

Mutual Assistance Teamwork

By Toshiko Narusawa

September 27, 2010

Toshiko Narusawa, co-author with John Shook of Kaizen Express, illustrates Taiichi Ohno’s comparison of workplace teamwork to passing a baton. Ohno, the architect of the Toyota Production System, said companies could learn a critical lesson from runners passing a baton. He called the lesson “mutual assistance teamwork” where team members support each other, as a runner waiting for the next stage of the race would react to the runner in the previous stage, who might be struggling, and reach back to provide support and execute a clean handoff. 

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Toshiko Narusawa, co-author with John Shook of Kaizen Express, illustrates Taiichi Ohno’s comparison of workplace teamwork to passing a baton. Ohno, the architect of the Toyota Production System, said companies could learn a critical lesson from runners passing a baton. He called the lesson “mutual assistance teamwork” where team members support each other, as a runner waiting for the next stage of the race would react to the runner in the previous stage, who might be struggling, and reach back to provide support and execute a clean handoff.

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Toshiko Narusawa

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