Where the Road Began:
Daring to Dream
It’s no coincidence that the spirit of Toyota’s founder, Sakichi Toyoda, is very much alive in every aspect of our business today.
A visionary who dared to dream of contributing to a better world, Sakichi relentlessly pursued his desire to provide better experiences through problem-solving, innovative thinking, Continuous Improvement and Respect for People — foundational principles of The Toyota Way.
Grounded in these principles, our Team Toyota Competencies — DELIGHT, SOLVE, INNOVATE, LEAD, GROW and VALUE — and their associated behaviors, empower us to follow Sakichi’s example.
"We recognize that to be successful we need to invest in our people by creating dedicated, focused channels for expanded learning, advancement, and new career opportunities."
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Delight
Put your customers first and strive to better their experience.
Solve
Apply an analytical approach to anticipate, identify and resolve problems.
Innovate
Continuously improve, challenge the status quo, and push for breakthrough solutions.
Lead
Conduct yourself and guide others with humility, gratitude and integrity.
Grow
Deliberately and continuously improve yourself and others.
Value
Foster an inclusive environment where everyone is inspired to do his/her best work.
There is nothing that can’t be done.
We foster an inclusive environment where everyone is inspired to do their best. When all of us — leaders, team members and business partners — VALUE one another and respect and embrace new ideas and different perspectives, our dream of equity and mobility for all is within reach. We’re going places — together.
Sakichi believed “there is nothing that can’t be done” — his “can do” spirit calls on us to challenge what’s possible and to make a difference in our world.
Where the Road Began:
How Our Pillars Guide D&I
Early Days
Throughout the evolution of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I), one thing has remained constant: D&I, at its core, is a direct reflection of our principles, cultural priorities and values. In their inceptions, both Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) and Toyota Financial Services (TFS) D&I strategies were brought to life through grassroots efforts led by individuals dedicated to making connections.
As D&I grew, it caught the attention of key leaders. Team members were growing connections across boundaries and doing so while promising to uphold the pillars of Toyota: Continuous Improvement and Respect for People. These innovative team members established a strong foundation and aligned D&I as a fundamental part of the business.
Driving Momentum
“One of the most critical pieces to the evolution of D&I at TMNA,” recalls Adrienne Trimble, General Manager of Diversity and Inclusion at TMNA, “was getting key senior leaders as advocates for business partnering groups (BPGs) — without those early champions, we may not have the engagement levels we have today.”
Terri Von Lehmden, General Manager of Talent Acquisition and Talent Development at TMNA, says, “Together, we intentionally created avenues for two-way communication and were purposeful in our actions. Once D&I was front and center, we created focus groups to ensure The Toyota Way was being reflected across all D&I initiatives.”
Stephen Lewis, General Manager of Diversity and Inclusion at TFS, adds that today “our leaders and key senior executives actively encourage team members to join BPGs, as well as participate in BPG meetings and events, driving engagement and culture.”
“Toyota really does great things to help build better team members, and I wanted to be a part of making sure people were taking advantage of these courses.”
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Business Partnering Groups (BPGs)
89% of team members who participate in BPGs are "proud to work at Toyota."
Fostering Connections
``BPGs have enabled me to expand my horizons professionally and personally.”
Read His StoryReflecting Our Commitment to Those We Serve
Customers
Through November 2017, new vehicle sales registrations for ages 18–24 increased 6.7 percent and 1.3 percent for ages 25–34, demonstrating improved resonance with millennials
Communities
In 2017, Toyota invested 54 percent of all philanthropic endeavors to diverse community non-profit organizations
Suppliers
Initiatives like Toyota’s Opportunity Exchange fosters connections between suppliers and Minority and Women Business Enterprises
Team Members
In 2017, more than 25 percent of total Toyota team members were people of color
Dealers
11 percent of Toyota and Lexus dealerships are minority- or women-owned.
A lot has changed — people are connecting more — talking about inclusion, talking about pride. Creating conversations about diversity awareness — it’s happening because of open communication.”
Assistant Manager, Finance and Accounting, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada
