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Creating Intention and Focus for Coaching Using a Structured A3/PDCA Thinking Process

Katie Anderson and Michelle Gabriel Lean Coaching Summit – July 2016

Minneapolis, MN

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“Everyone is a teacher and everyone is a learner.” - John Shook

Develop your people and get the job done…

accomplish those at the same time.

The twin responsibilities of a Lean Leader

Image from John Shook, Lean Enterprise Institute

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INTENTION: “Shi-Ko”

HEART DIRECTION

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“Live less out of habit, and more out of intent.” - Anonymous

Coaches developing coaches

Katie Anderson, Margie Hagene and Isao Yoshino – Kyoto, April 2016

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Title: What are you talking about?

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Source: John Shook “Managing to Learn”

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Title: What are you talking about?

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*Personal Improvement A3 Format designed by Margie Hagene

Why should I improve myself in order to be

a coach / leader who creates an organization filled with problem solvers?

What habits / actions (both strengths and limitations) do I take today? What happens as a result of my habits / actions?

What are the reasons for my for my current positive habits (strengths) and limiting (Gap) habits?

What does better look like for me? What, How Much, By When?

What experiments will I try on myself to become a better coach / leader of problem solvers?

What steps will I take and when? What is my practice plan to develop new habits?

How will I know if there's improvement? How will I know if things are off plan? How will I make time to practice? What is my process for ongoing reflection/PDCA? Who else will I involve?

PERSONAL IMPROVEMENT FOCUSED A3 QUESTIONS

What is the problem? (one concise sentence)

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Most of us have the knowledge of “Lean Leader” skills…

“We are what we repeatedly do, excellence is not an act, but a habit” – Aristotle

LITTLE HABITS

BIG IMPACT

…but not always the habit of practicing these skills daily

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Coaching Relationship Responsibilities Coach

• Guide the learner through the A3 process and focus on themself

• Ask open ended questions to keep the problem solving with the learner

• Offer observations from coaching sessions and gemba (help “hold up the mirror”)

• Take notes to give evidence of thinking progression to learner

• Follow-up and check-in

Learner

• Own the thinking and the personal improvement process

• Experiment, practice, reflect and conduct personal PDCA cycles

• Practice getting a little bit better every day

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Our Story

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A3 Title: Becoming a More Effective Leader

I. Background – Answering the question, why should I improve myself? Why this, why now?

• I have been in the manager role for 2.5 years • I feel like where I want to be as a leader and manager is not where I currently am • I often feel pulled into many directions (roles, priorities, etc.), which makes me feel ineffective

at times because I don’t know where to start

II. Current Conditions - Habits/Actions I Currently Take -- Outcomes from My Current Habits/Actions (Include Strengths and Limitations)

Habits/Actions Outcomes

(+) Focused coaching/dedicated time

• I am creating a habit of reflecting and bringing intention to my own development.

• I am developing an awareness to where I am spending my time

(-) Taking on too much or not delegating some of the work

• Work that does move forward moves slowly • I feel less effective in my role

• I sacrifice time I originally protect for personal development

(-) Having unrealistically high expectations

• May never get to better because I am aiming for perfect • Can feel discouraged

(-) Responding to the urgent • Missing opportunities for me to grow or for the important work to get done

Michelle’s A3 – Version 1: Background and Current Condition

A3 Title: Becoming more structured and intentional versus being reactive

Problem Statement:

There is a mismatch between my expectations and my behaviors that results in: • Actual actions differing from expected actions • Actual progress differing from expected progress • Dissatisfaction with my performance

Goals/Targets: By end of September:

Measure of Success Goal Target

Percentage of expected versus actual (calendared events or milestones)

100% > 80%

Personal satisfaction that I’m getting the right things done

75% > 50%

Analysis – Reasons for my personal performance

Current strong habits Current limiting (gap) habits

• Focused coaching • Developing awareness in the moment

• Lack of prioritizing and planning • Lack of discipline

Michelle’s A3 – Version 2: Problem Statement, Goals & Analysis

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• I am doing too much.

– I see lots of things that I feel need to be done.

• I have not prioritized the critical few.

– I find it hard to say “no” or what I’m not going to do.

– I don’t want to burden my team with some of the work.

• I want my team to focus on external work.

– I haven’t made internal work a priority.

• I respond to the urgent.

– I will often sacrifice my own work for other urgent/important matters.

• I have not reconciled my own priorities with others’ expectations.

• I have not protected my time for important work.

• I have varying discipline with following through on my plan.

• I set unrealistic expectations of myself.

– I underestimate the time it takes to get work done

• I am not versed in project planning.

Michelle’s A3 – Version 3: Refined Analysis

A3 Title: Becoming more structured and intentional versus being reactive

A3 Title: Becoming more structured and intentional versus being reactive

Proposed Countermeasures (experiments):

Category Experiment (If I…) Hypothesis (Then I…)

Prioritizing If I define my priorities… Then I will know where to focus my energy, which should result in both my expected versus actual percentage increasing and my increased personal satisfaction.

Planning If I develop a robust planning process…

Then I can set realistic expectations and make informed choices when other requests or urgent issues arise to be more intentional about my decisions

Discipline If I can be more disciplined in following my plan/process…

Then I should see an increase in my expected versus actual and an increase in personal satisfaction

Michelle’s A3 – Version 4: Countermeasures, Plan and Follow-up

Action By When

Reflect on ability to plan weekly and understand when things didn’t go

according to plan

January

Make visible the metrics and track February

Check in bi-weekly with coach on progress Start March

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Reflections and Q&A

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Practice Preparing

• In small groups review these three draft A3s

• Discuss:

– How would you prepare for your next coaching session with this person?

– What coaching questions might you ask?

– What are things that you want to watch out for as a coach in this process?

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Practice PDCA / A3 thinking on yourself

Practice getting a little bit better every day.

Plan: What experiments will I try?

Adjust: What does better look like?

Do: What steps will I take and when?

Study What habits do I currently have? What words do I use? Where do I spend my time?

Study: How will I know that I’m improving? What is my process for reflection?

Develop your people and get the job done…

accomplish those at the same time.

The twin responsibilities of a Lean Leader

Image from John Shook, Lean Enterprise Institute