Pursuing Excellence Every Day
Welcome to Day 1 of Compliance & Ethics Week! Today’s theme is PURSUING EXCELLENCE EVERY DAY. Please take a moment to reflect on what pursuing excellence means to you in your role.
Did you consider:
- How can I hold myself accountable for ethical decisions in my daily work?
- What best practices can I implement to enhance compliance in my team?
- How can I model ethical behaviors for other team members?
Ethical challenges can be obvious, like bribery, or less obvious – down to the way we manage records and personal information. The Toyota Compliance & Audit Division was created to partner with Toyota teams in pursuing ethical excellence. To do this, we rely on key principles including The Toyota Way Philosophy and Code of Conduct to guide the work we do every day. It’s also why Compliance & Ethics Week is so important.
Day 1 Spotlight: The Code of Conduct
Our first step in PURSUING ETHICAL EXCELLENCE begins with the Code of Conduct. This document provides a clear, strong foundation for how every team member can pursue excellence every day.
The Code of Conduct incorporates the Guiding Principles as well as Toyota’s Values. The Code of Conduct is our blueprint for living out the Toyota Philosophy by conducting ourselves in a manner that allows us to successfully serve our customers and achieve our goals the right way. It helps us make decisions and act in ways that are ethical, legal, and consistent with Toyota’s values. The way we approach our task is just as important as the task we perform.
The Code of Conduct of Conduct is available on My Toolbox or kiosks located within the manufacturing sites.
Be sure to complete the Day One Quiz to be entered to win one of our great prizes. And please be sure to join us tomorrow to learn how EXCELLENCE BEGINS WITH KNOWLEDGE.
EXCELLENCE BEGINS WITH KNOWLEDGE
Today, we will start with something you’re likely already familiar with: The Ten Values of the Toyota Way. These values guide us, but it is our actions every day that determine our path. When we consistently act in an ethical manner and prioritize a strong culture of compliance, we grow as individuals and ensure Toyota’s future success.
This makes the Toyota Way Values the right place to start today’s section, EXCELLENCE BEGINS WITH KNOWLEDGE. Visit the Ten Values of the Toyota Way to learn more and review examples.
Yesterday, you learned about the Code of Conduct and its importance in PURSUING EXCELLENCE EVERY DAY. Building upon that foundation, we are taking a look at an additional resource: the TMNA Ethics and Conflicts of Interest Policy. This policy covers avoiding any potential conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest, as well as providing guidance and expectations for team members.
When we embrace learning about ethical excellence as a team, our entire company benefits. By doing business the right way, we build our reputation among customers and partners, opening future opportunities for success.
You can learn more about these topics or ask questions by visiting:
Day 2 Spotlight: RECORDS AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
The TMNA Records and Information Management Program is a systematic approach to managing our organization’s records and information throughout their lifecycle, from creation to disposal. It ensures that records are properly maintained, easily accessible, and securely disposed of when no longer needed, supporting compliance, efficiency, and risk management. It is everyone’s responsibility to adhere to our retention policy when handling company records. This involves more than just sending boxes to storage; there are specific policies and regulations regarding how to send, organize and retain records (hard copy, digital or system stored).
What does ethical excellence look like for Records and Information Management?
We all work with records every day, including check sheets, receipts, reports, meeting minutes, project schedules, contracts, forecasts, and much more. Ensuring that records are retained correctly and not improperly disposed of is your contribution to pursuing ethical excellence, and the Records and Information Management team is here to help! You can learn more about these policies here.
MAKING EXCELLENCE PERSONAL
Now that you have the foundation of knowledge, we can explore MAKING EXCELLENCE PERSONAL. As part of this effort, we want to be sure you are equipped with the right tools and systems to help you incorporate ETHICAL EXCELLENCE in your work every day.
Yesterday, we covered the TMNA Ethics and Conflicts of Interest Policy. A related tool you can use to uphold the policy is the Gifts & Conflict of Interest Disclosures system.
Some key areas covered in the Gifts & Conflict Interest Policy covers topics like:
- GIFTS & HOSPITALITY – What is appropriate to accept from vendors regarding meals, travel, event tickets, or entertainment?
- INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL BUSINESS ACTIVITIES AND RELATIONSHIPS – When considering your own financial interests, speaking engagements, board appointments, or other negotiated transactions, where does the line between personal and professional end? What is Toyota’s guidance on these matters?
The Gifts & Conflicts Interest Policy provides guidance on these matters but remember, when in doubt, it is always best to disclose.
Take a moment to consider how you can MAKE EXCELLENCE PERSONAL in your role:
- Are you upholding the Code of Conduct every day?
- What compliance or ethics concerns might you face?
- Do you know where to go if you need help with a compliance or ethics concern?
In your conversations today, ask others how they MAKE EXCELLENCE PERSONAL in their roles. You might discover something you hadn’t thought about.
Day 3 Spotlight: PRIVACY TEAM
Safeguarding individuals’ personal information (PI) is everyone’s responsibility. We have a legal and ethical obligation to protect individuals’ information from unauthorized access, use, and dissemination and comply with the laws and regulations of each country and region.
What does ethical excellence look like for Privacy?
Consistent with our Respect for People and Customer First philosophies, the foundation of privacy at Toyota is about doing the right thing for our consumers, team members, and society.
This means we:
- Follow all applicable privacy laws and company privacy procedures and practices.
- Collect, use and process personal information only for legitimate purposes.
- Protect the privacy and security of information entrusted to us.
HELPING OTHERS BE EXCELLENT
So far, we have looked at what ethics looks like every day, the important things to know, and the tools you have available. However, do you know what to do when you see someone who isn’t practicing ETHICAL EXCELLENCE?
When we do not uphold ETHICAL EXCELLENCE as a team, our company and brand suffer. In order to ensure long-term success, we must uphold The Toyota Way, Code of Conduct, and all other Compliance policies. Ethics truly is everyone’s responsibility.
If you see something that doesn’t feel quite right, talk to your manager and HRBA, and Speak Up! Call the Toyota Speak Up Line (1-844-SPEAK-99) or submit online at www.toyota.ethicspoint.com. Both are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with the option to remain anonymous.
An independent third party, Navex, provides intake services providing a buffer between the individual reporting a problem and Toyota, allowing for truly anonymous reporting. When cases are submitted, matters are investigated in partnership with HR, Quality, and other groups, as appropriate to help find the best result for everyone involved. Here is a video that helps explain the process. Respect for People – What Happens if I Report?
If you see something that doesn’t seem to align with our values and policies, please take the initiative to HELP OTHERS BE EXCELLENT.
Day 4 Spotlight: CUSTOMS TRADE COMPLIANCE TEAM
Toyota Team Members play a role in border security by managing requirements from multiple agencies to ensure international trade compliance. One of the agencies is U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Toyota ensures we follow international trade regulations and oversee various agency requirements, including the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) program. Participating in CTPAT strengthens supply chain security and helps companies comply with U.S. import/export regulations.
How can you support border security?
- Access Control: Monitoring and restricting access to production, shipping areas, and office areas helps prevent unauthorized tampering and supports C-TPAT security goals.
- Reporting Suspicious Activity: Report any unusual or suspicious activity to identify potential threats early. If there is a team member or visitor without a badge, remind them to put it on. If a team member does not put their badge on or if they are unfamiliar, notify management.
What other ways can you support International Trade compliance? Click here for more information.
CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE
Today we are CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE!
Let’s take a moment to recap some of the benefits of working with an ethics-centered mindset every day:
- Reputation of integrity
- Trust from team members, customers, and partners
- Improved efficiency by using known, ethically validated processes and channels
- Satisfied customers
- Long-term success
That all sounds pretty great, right? As you’ve seen throughout the week, there are resources, tools, and teams ready and willing to help you PURSUE ETHICAL EXCELLENCE EVERY DAY. We would like to take a moment to share a few key reminders from this week as you continue your pursuit:
- The Code of Conduct will guide you through challenges you might face in your role
- The Gifts & Conflict of Interest Disclosures system is available to disclose gifts, hospitality, internal or external business activities, and relationships
- The Speak Up Line is available to you anytime you need it
- The Compliance & Audit team is always here to help
We appreciate you PURSUING ETHICAL EXCELLENCE every day. Please take a moment today to thank a team member who exemplifies this in their role, and celebrate moments of making ethical choices in the future. You are directly helping Toyota remain a strong, reputable company.
Day 5 Spotlight: ETHICS PROGRAM MANAGEMENT TEAM
The Ethics Program Management Team is responsible for five key areas, which have been shared over the course of this week. Our team:
- Provides governance and oversight over third-party, anonymous whistleblower hotline, the Speak Up Line
- Owns the Code of Conduct policy
- Manages Ethics and Conflicts of Interest disclosures
- Responds to Ask the Ethics Officer questions
- Provides analytics and reporting to the enterprise to support Ethical Compliance
