Toyota "andon" cord lets any worker stop production to fix defects

TL;DR

Giving teams tools like Scrum events or defect reporting only works if you also create a culture where people feel safe to speak up and address problems. Without psychological safety and genuine empowerment, process changes alone will not lead to real improvement. Development managers should focus on building trust and openness so teams feel comfortable raising issues.

12 May 2025
Written by Martin Hinshelwood
1 minute read
Philosophy Product Development Leadership Technical Leadership
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In manufacturing, Toyota introduced the “andon” cord, a simple chain any worker could pull to stop the entire line if they saw a defect.

When American car companies copied the idea, they installed the cord… but workers were too afraid to pull it.

The tool was there. The empowerment was not.

The same failure happens in Agile and Scrum adoptions every day.

Installing Scrum Events without building a culture of transparency and continuous improvement is cargo cult thinking. You’re copying the tool without the ethos.

Scrum is not your safety net. Your culture is.

If you punish people for raising issues, don’t be surprised when they stop speaking up.

How safe is it in your organisation to pull the metaphorical andon cord?

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