Toyota Kata Im

W3 Group, LLC Lean Transformation l Consulting l Training l Support1

Toyota Kata

Developing Improvement Kata

Thinking & Acting

May 2010

Bill Costantino

www.W3GroupLLC.com

2 Lean Transformation l Consulting l Training l SupportW3 Group, LLC Bill Costantino

Suzaki’s Mini-Company

● Strive for full participation and

contribution from all employees,

to succeed in global marketplace

● Gemba (Reality) focus

● Mini-Company approach

● Ownership using Scoreboard –

aka “Glass wall”

● Competency – skill development

● Participation & Improvement

● Alignment – Policy Deployment

● Managers & Supervisors are key –

as mentors / coaches


Lessons from My Clients

● Key elements & structure for successful

Mini-Company development include:

♦ Clear metrics

♦ Visibility to everyone Glasswall

♦ Designated Team Leader (T/L)

♦ Senior management visibly engaged

♦ Frequent touch: T/L with team,

management with T/L

♦ Accountability

♦ Basic set of key tools: 5S, Visual

Factory, SW, Job Instruction, Basic

Problem solving

♦ Use the tools to improve… with

guidance

♦ Focus on facts and data


Stall Point…

● Common stall point:

♦ Continuous

Improvement model

(routine) is lacking

♦ Struggle with

coaching / mentoring


Toyota Kata = Integration

● Logical next step

● Provides clear routines to

teach and learn

● Makes improvement part

of everyday work

● This is now an

experiment in progress!


Kata Thinking

● Grasp Current Condition

● Set Target Condition

● PDCA toward Target

Condition

● Coaching Kata

Four key routines to

practice at the start:

These routines are

repeated in successive

training sessions for

Group Leaders

That begins

to develop

capability!

… Keeping it simple

at first


Relevance of Frequent Practice

● “Understanding” is not capability

● Takes physical, bodily repetition to develop

familiarity & skills

● Gains from occasional “exercises” that are soon

lost creates frustration

● Rapport between mentor – mentee takes

frequent contact to establish

♦ difference between managing someone vs. coaching

● Infrequent practice =

♦ Forever low on the learning curve

♦ Management really committed??

♦ Can’t build momentum


Frequent Coaching Cycles

Mentee

Mentor

Master

Coach


Re-Defining PDCA

● Common Mindset (eg. A3, Kaizen event, 6-Sigma project, etc.)

♦ Structured format and tools

♦ Long(er) lead time

♦ Event based

♦ Specialized, limited

resources, i.e., CI team

● New Mindset

♦ Short, frequent cycles – sometimes minutes!

♦ Biased for action

♦ NOT – “Let’s see if (s)he got it done,” but instead –

“What obstacles are now preventing progress to the TC?”

♦ Anyone can learn it


Solutions versus Discovery

● People often invent full-blown solutions,

then try to impose on the process, versus…

● Small-step discovery as we go

♦ Closer connection to the reality of the process

♦ System is dynamic, ever-changing


Problems, Problems…

● Our common reflex to solve the problem, versus…

● Developing

Problem Solvers

● HUGE

paradigm shift!

● We are trained to:

♦ Produce answers

♦ Direct others what to do

● But what is the better competitive

advantage in the long run?


Coaching Others

● Very difficult skill to develop

● Often non-existent in today’s

business culture

● We tend to be results focused

instead of means focused

● Coercing or managing

vs. truly coaching

● Lack of reliable / trainable methodology (kata)

● Must personally develop skill yourself before

able to coach others.


Discussion

Thank You!

Education

Toyota Kata Im