Progress Principle

QUOTE

J.R.R. Tolkien once said…

“Little by little, one travels far.”

(English writer)

CONCEPT

Progress Principle

The Progress Principle is the idea that making small, meaningful progress in work is the single most powerful driver of motivation and satisfaction.

Contrary to common belief, motivation does not primarily come from rewards, pressure, or even passion. It comes from forward motion. When people feel they are making progress—however incremental—they become more engaged, resilient, and creative. Conversely, when progress is blocked or erased, morale collapses quickly.

STORY

Stopping … Is Going?

In the years after World War II, Toyota Motor Corporation was on the brink of collapse. Japan’s economy was devastated, resources were scarce, and Toyota was a minor player compared to American auto giants like Ford and General Motors. The company could not afford large bets, massive factories, or sweeping innovations.

What it could afford were small improvements—made relentlessly.

Under the guidance of Taiichi Ohno and Eiji Toyoda, Toyota developed what would later be called the Toyota Production System. Its core idea was deceptively simple: every worker, every day, should be able to make the work slightly better.

Not next year.

Not after a major overhaul.

Today.

One practice embodied this philosophy: the andon cord. Any worker on the assembly line—no matter how junior—was empowered to pull a cord and stop production if they noticed a problem. In most factories at the time, stopping the line was unthinkable. It was seen as failure. At Toyota, it was treated as progress.

Each stop created a small win: a defect prevented, a process clarified, a mistake learned from.

The effects compounded. Employees became more engaged because they could see their impact daily. Problems were solved where they occurred, rather than buried by management. Morale improved because progress was visible and shared.

By the 1970s, Toyota’s cars were not just cheaper—they were more reliable. By the 1980s, American manufacturers were scrambling to understand how Toyota achieved such quality with fewer resources. Study after study reached the same conclusion: Toyota didn’t motivate workers with pressure or grand visions. It motivated them with daily progress.