The Andon Cord is a physical cord (or button) on a factory line at Toyota.

👉 Any worker can pull it the moment they see a problem.

When pulled:

• A light/signal turns on (Andon board)
• The line slows or stops
• Supervisors rush to the spot
• The issue is fixed before the car moves forward

No blame.
No permission.
No hierarchy.

---

Toyota flipped that logic:

Letting a problem pass is the real failure.

Stopping the line is not punishment. It’s professional responsibility.

Key Takeaway :-

• “Be collaborative” as a value, not a metric
• Don’t Incentivize short-term gains over long-term health
• Self-interest and Collective interest should point in the same direction.
• Redefine success beyond personal wins
• People should gain reputation by preventing disasters, not fixing them heroically.
  

“‘We’ is not a word we use.
It is a choice our systems make every day.”