A colleague of mine recently shared a story about the renowned Chihiro Nakao, student of Taiichi Ohno and founder of the Shingijutsu, the consulting group that teaches Toyota Production System principles. According to the story, a client once asked Nakao if he granted any Black Belt certifications. The question was relayed via a translator. It didn’t translate.

The questioner was asked to repeat the query. Nakao laughed and then said something along the lines of, "I've been studying this for 50 years, and I am only now beginning to understand it." Wow!

So, here's my personal belief. Certifications are the form. The required learning and experience is the substance. Sometimes the substance is not very substantive, so choose wisely—and understand the limitations.

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