Our Mantras

Introducing TPSbyKatsu Mantras

Over the years, certain ideas have become guiding principles in the way I understand people, organizations, and the Toyota Production System.

Some emerged from experience. Others from mistakes, conversations, or moments when reality challenged what I thought I knew.

I’ve decided to bring some of them together in a new collection: TPSbyKatsu Mantras.

A few things are worth clarifying from the beginning:

• They are not absolute truths. They reflect my understanding so far, and remain open to questioning and learning.

• Their numbers do not indicate priority or importance. They simply help organize a growing collection.

• They are not instructions to follow blindly. They are reminders to think, observe, question, and sometimes reconsider.

• They are not necessarily exclusive to TPS. Some are lessons about people and life that I believe are equally relevant to organizations.

Above all, they represent the philosophy behind TPSbyKatsu: an evolving collection of principles that help guide how we think and what we do.

And perhaps the most important point:

A mantra should guide our thinking, not replace it.