Apply yourself
Let me get the obvious out of the way: I haven’t posted in years. On to business. I’m posting to give an update on my current situation and to provide historical record for my future self to gain insight in any potential transformations or life-changing events.
At least one item I should mention was my time spent in Washington D.C. at the beginning of this summer. With everything going on at Toyota, there was a need for technical support and business process documentation at our headquarters in Washington. I was selected to fill this role and for two months I saw first hand how our company was inundated with requests and inquiries from The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. I also saw how a huge organization, which typically moves in incremental stages, quickly changed the company culture to be more safety focused. Essentially, you had one of the world’s largest automobile manufacturers focusing in on individual customer complaints – I mean single incidents! Historically a manufacturer has to prioritize the issues it investigates and resolves based on the number of customers impacted, the severity of the issue, and so on. Yet, in a relatively short period of time, I witnessed Toyota scrap the mindset of ‘biggest trend,’ in preference of listening to each individual customer’s complaint about safety and then investigating that complaint. From the outside, of course Toyota’s PR statements may have come off as lip service. Underneath all of that, however, working directly with safety investigations I can attest that significant changes are afoot. Moreover, sitting in front of the Vice President of Quality, I can also say that there is nothing disingenuous about our leadership’s attitude towards improving quality and safety. For now I will continue to observe and learn about how large companies deal with crisis, but will also be involved in helping to reshape our quality and safety practices. It’s an interesting time to work in Toyota Quality.
Outside of work, I am trying to get more involved in Cincinnati. I want to feel connected in some way – I want my energies to make a difference, to leave a mark. I had the idea to volunteer at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital since it is a well respected institution and because I love kids. At first I was wait-listed due to the shear number of people itching to volunteer there, but after a few patient months I got the call for an interview. The interview went well, I suppose, because I am not assigned to volunteer on Thursday night’s in the bone marrow transplant section. The volunteer coordinator told me that these are some of the sickest kids in the hospital and most have extremely weak immune systems. Right now I’m undergoing all the necessary shots and tests to volunteer at the hospital and will participate in orientation in the coming weeks, but basically I will have to get suited up to provide bed side play time to children who can’t leave their room. They are facing extremely difficult procedures and circumstances. I am so grateful that I might have the opportunity to provide healthy development and play time to these kids – especially to help take their mind off everything going on around them in the hospital. I think I will want to write most about the time I spend with these kids. They may teach me a great deal and I’m excited for this experience.
Finally, I need to schedule a vacation! That would give me a good reason to post some pictures along with my text. More on that later, but for now, I am off to enjoy some sun.
