Toyota Kata
Developing Improvement Kata
Thinking & Acting
May 2010
Bill Costantino
www.W3GroupLLC.com
W3 Group, LLC 1 Lean Transformation l Consulting l Training l Support

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
W3 Group, LLC Bill Costantino 2 Lean Transformation l Consulting l Training l Support

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
W3 Group, LLC Bill Costantino 3 Lean Transformation l Consulting l Training l Support

Stall Point…
● Common stall point:
♦ Continuous
Improvement model
(routine) is lacking
♦ Struggle with
coaching / mentoring
W3 Group, LLC Bill Costantino 4 Lean Transformation l Consulting l Training l Support

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!
W3 Group, LLC Bill Costantino 5 Lean Transformation l Consulting l Training l Support

Kata Thinking
These routines are
Four key routines to
repeated in successive
practice at the start: training sessions for
Group Leaders
● Grasp Current Condition
That begins
● Set Target Condition
to develop
● PDCA toward Target capability!
Condition
● Coaching Kata
… Keeping it simple
at first
W3 Group, LLC Bill Costantino 6 Lean Transformation l Consulting l Training l Support

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
W3 Group, LLC Bill Costantino 7 Lean Transformation l Consulting l Training l Support

Frequent Coaching Cycles
Mentee
Mentor
Master
Coach
W3 Group, LLC Bill Costantino 8 Lean Transformation l Consulting l Training l Support

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
W3 Group, LLC Bill Costantino 9 Lean Transformation l Consulting l Training l Support

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
W3 Group, LLC Bill Costantino 10 Lean Transformation l Consulting l Training l Support

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?
W3 Group, LLC Bill Costantino 11 Lean Transformation l Consulting l Training l Support

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.
W3 Group, LLC Bill Costantino 12 Lean Transformation l Consulting l Training l Support

Discussion
Thank You!
W3 Group, LLC Bill Costantino 13 Lean Transformation l Consulting l Training l Support