Two years ago I spent a month visiting Japan, traveling more than 5,000 kilometres on the public transportation system there.
Part of that travel involved using the many subway systems that are found in practically all of the major cities in Japan.One of my first impressions was the sight of a station master standing outside of his ticket booth and bowing to each person as they entered the station. Not only bowing, but clearly saying "irasshai", which means both "Welcome to my place of business" and "How my I help you?" The service did not stop there; each station was manned by a group of attendants whose job it was to ensure passenger safety and comfort.These attendants would assist the elderly go up and down stairs and carry people in wheelchairs to and from the platform using an ingenious pole and strap system.Likewise they would ensure that people entered and left the subway cars in a safe and organized way during rush hour.Many of you may think this means shoving people into subway cars like cattle, but while I traveled during rush hour through some of the busiest stations in the world, I never saw that happen.Needless to say, the stations were immaculately clean, not to mention the subway cars themselves, and even the areas around the stations were maintained by the staff.Now many people reading this may simply say that it's all very nice but it is that way because Japan is a different country with a different work culture.The fact is, this work culture I'm describing is not indigenous, but was introduced into Japan after the end of the Second World War by the Americans.American business consultant W. Edwards Deming went to Japan and taught business managers how to improve production by making everyone in a work process responsible for its success.The Japanese grabbed hold of Deming's ideas and rebuilt their country, going on to become the second strongest economy in the world.Their success came from making the work force of the country feel that they were a key part of the economic recovery, and not just bit players who could be replaced at the whim of an employer.I raise these points in view of the firestorm of public opinion this past week over the photograph of a TTC ticket taker shown sleeping on the job.Many people have been quick to blame the individual, the worker's union and TTC management for allowing it to happen.I say it's a larger problem, where we have created a society where people who work feel no ownership of their jobs, their work responsibilities, or their customers' satisfaction. We already have the business management tools, as the Japanese have shown us, that build huge economies. The problem is that we've forgotten how to use those tools, instead pursuing myriad individual economies at the expense of building a civilization where everyone profits.