direction for the kata way

8/12/2019 Direction for the Kata way

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Mike Rother / Improvement Kata Handbook Direction 1

PART II: Practice Routines forThe Improvement Kata

Deliberate practice of the Improvement Kata patternhas the ability to change how we think about and dealwith challenges and uncertainty. This section of theHandbook walks you step-by-step through the practiceroutines for each step of the Improvement Kata.


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THE STEPS OF THE IMPROVEMENT KATABUILD ON ONE ANOTHER

What you do in one stepframes the next step

The more precisely you define the Target Condition ,the better and more quickly you can recognize obstaclesand Iterate toward it with rapid experiments .

The clearer the definition of the Challenge ,the more appropriate will be your analysisof the Current Condition .

The better your analysis of the Current Condition ,the more precise your definition of the TargetCondition can be.


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THE STEPS OF THE IMPROVEMENT KATAARE ALSO RECURSIVE

What you encounter in one stepmay adjust what you learned in earlier steps


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ImprovementKata

CoachingKata

PLANNING PHASEWhere Do We Want to Go?

Chapter 4. Step 1: Understand the Direction / ChallengeChapter 5. Step 2: Grasp the Current ConditionChapter 6. Step 3: Establish the Next Target Condition


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Step 1: UNDERSTAND THEDIRECTION / CHALLENGE

The Improvement Kata - Planning Phase

For referencesee:

Chapter3

Routine

Practicethis

Chapter 4


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Iterate Towardthe TargetCondition

C C

T C

Establish theNext Target

ConditionTarget

Condition

Grasp theCurrent

Condition

Understandthe

Direction

! Executing "

CoachingCycles

Coach Learner

! Planning " Coaching Cycles

What challengeare we strivingto meet?

ORIENTATION

LEARNER

COACH


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Target Condition Achieve by: _______

Focus Process: Challenge:

Current Condition

PDCA CyclesRecord

ObstaclesParking Lot

LEARNER " S STORYBOARDLearner and Coach are now concentrating on this field


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Based on a graphic by Bill Costantino

THE IMPROVEMENT KATAPATTERN BEGINS WITH

A SENSE OF DIRECTION


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Target Condition Challenge Obstacles Vision

Current Condition

SPECIFICALLY, THE FIRST STEP OF THE IK PATTERNIS TO DEFINE THE OVERARCHING CHALLENGE

This is the context within which the rest of the Improvement Kata is applied

When people see themselves as components in a system[and] work in cooperation to achieve a shared aim, they feelthat their efforts hold meaning. They experience interestand challenge and joy in the work.

~ W. Edwards Deming, The New Economics, page 128

Having an overall challenge is importantso individual process target conditionsare seen as meaningful. It " s difficult forus to stay engaged with something thatdoesn " t have a purpose.


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THE ROLE OF A CHALLENGEIdeally, a challenge is a theme that

connects strategy with process-level execution

Target Condition

Current Condition Challenge Obstacles

Distant Vision

A Task for MANAGERS Day-to-day coaching the

application practice of theImprovement Kata pattern, inthe direction of the challenge

A Task for LEADERS :Establishing the

organization " s strategicconcept (the rallying point

or overall direction)

StrategyExecutionTheme


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LET " S LOOK AT EACH OF THESE ELEMENTS

Target

Condition

Current

Condition Challenge Obstacles Vision


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Target Condition

(date)

Current Condition Challenge Obstacles

FarAway

Vision

THE LONG-TERM VISION: STRATEGIC PURPOSE

A vision is a long-range ideal, stated by theorganization " s leadership, of value flowed to thecustomer. Since we can " t see the future, this statement isa description of value that " s not limited to the organization " s currentproducts or technologies. If you look beyond the processes andproducts you have today (which can blind you to the bigger picture),what do customers actually need or want?For example, a long-term vision statement for an automobilemanufacturer could be, Better transportation for more people. A visionstatement for a manufacturer of drills could be, Holes where you wantthem when you want them. It" s acceptable and even desirable for the vision to represent a puzzle

from the perspective of current competencies. It"

s far away, difficultto imagine, and the path to it is not foreseeable.This sense of direction gets deployed into the organization by definingmore specific challenges or themes that guide and inform applicationof the Improvement Kata pattern, to strengthen existing capabilities ordevelop new capabilities as necessary to move in the desired direction.Further details on establishing a long-term vision are outside the scope

of the Improvement Kata Handbook.


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Just operating on low cost is unlikely to be a source ofsustained competitive advantage. This can lead you into acommodity trap, where in order to compete you end uppursuing ever-lower-cost inputs and endanger quality.

Rather than managing the operational side of the businesssimply to be efficient, with the Improvement Kataapproach managers guide activities that support astrategic purpose that grows and differentiates thebusiness (which can include efficiency, of course).

Defining a vision or strategic purpose is about buildingunique value; i.e., distinctive differences that are valuableto customers. This provides qualitative directionalguidance for the organization.

Note:

EFFICIENCY AND COST CUTTING ARE NOT A DIRECTION


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Vision

THE MOST IMPORTANT OVERALL DIRECTION GIVERFOR THE OPERATIONAL SIDE OF THE ORGANIZATION

ARE CLOSER, MORE SPECIFIC, WELL-STATEDBREAKTHROUGH CHALLENGES

6 Months to3 Years out

Target Condition

(date)

Current Condition Challenge Obstacles Challenge


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WHAT IS A CHALLENGE?

It " s a non-negotiable stretch goal -- a theme -- relatedto better serving the customer. It " s an inspiring

description of a new level of performance that willdistinguish your team from competitors.

It " s a business imperative that the organization can " tachieve with its current system or process.

Typically 6 months to 2 years in the future.

Is defined by leaders or by persons with value-streamresponsibility.

Not easy, but not impossible. Achievable, but wedon " t know in advance how we " ll achieve it. Takes aseries of target conditions to achieve.

Think of a challenge as a sentencebeginning with the words:Wouldn ! t it be great if we could...


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A challenge should describe a desired state that people can rallyaround, and should be measureable in some aspect. But the challengeis not just a number. It should be personally relevant to the membersof the organization. A good challenge focuses a team " s attention andeffort, and is often published as a punchy, inspiring challenge statement .

A CHALLENGE IS A TEAM OR ORGANIZATIONRALLYING POINT

...have every customer calling inimmediately get a live person.

...machine parts 1x1 directly inthe assembly process.

...paint parts 1x1 directly inthe assembly process.

...build one customer kitchen at atime and put it right on the truck.

...have lab-test results done in45 minutes, with no errors.

...take 7 days from new patientreferral to evaluation.

...assemble the day ordered, andship the next day.

Example ChallengeWouldn ! t it be great if we could...

Example Challenge Statement

Customers first time live

Machine to assemble

Paint to assemble

Build to truck, kitchen at a time

Know in 45

Just a week

Same day, next day


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A challenge guides every day " s work. Without it:

An organization is unaligned. Improvement efforts andproposals get ROI-evaluated independently, instead ofas part of reaching for something. We tend to useshort-term cost/benefit analysis to choose what stepsto take, which dangerously keeps us inside our currentknowledge threshold.

We tend to jump from one direction to another in tryingavoid obstacles, rather than struggling through theobstacles to achieve the innovations and importantcompetencies of tomorrow.

Improvement becomes reacting to problems

(troubleshooting to maintain the status quo) ratherthan reaching for a new level of performance.

WHY AN OVERARCHING CHALLENGE ISSO IMPORTANT

(Note: It " s acceptable for a beginner to do some initial practicingof the Improvement Kata pattern without a challenge, just to startlearning the pattern. But a challenge will soon be necessary forthe Learner " s practicing to be meaningful and efffective.)


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Process Team A

Challenge Vision

Target Condition

Target Condition

Target Condition

Next Target

Condition

Next Target

Condition

Next Target Condition

A CHALLENGE HELPS TO ALIGN AND CONNECTPROCESS-LEVEL IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS

The challenge is used to help ensure that process-levelimprovement efforts have a focus and fit together

A challenge typicallypertains to morethan one process inthe organization orvalue stream.

What " s the direction in whichprocesses should be improved?What is the overarchingbreakthrough challenge that eachprocess should help achieve?

Process Team B

Process Team C


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Value Stream Goal

Value Stream Loop Goal

Process Goal

Organization ! s Strategic

Goal

Coaches Value Streams

Coaches VS Loops

Coaches Processes

WHAT COACHING TO A CHALLENGE LOOKS LIKE

Leadership coaches the next level down in defining an overallChallenge in the direction of the vision. Below that, the TargetCondition from the level above becomes the Direction or Challenge for the level below.


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IN PRACTICEYOUR SPECIFIC CHALLENGE MAY COME FROM

THE TARGET CONDITION ONE LEVEL ABOVE YOU

Understandth e

Direction(from level above)

Graspth e

CurrentCondition

Establishthe Next

TargetCondition

Iterate Towardthe

Target Condition

PLANNING EXECUTING

Value StreamLevel

OrganizationLevel

Value StreamLoop Level

ProcessLevel

Challenge

Current-StateValue Stream

Mapping

Future-StateValue Stream

MappingChallenge

Challenge

Challenge


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Grasp theCurrent

Condition

Establish theNext Target

ConditionTarget

Condition

PDCA Toward theTarget Condition

The 5Questions

GoandSee

PLAN

CHECK DO

ACT

C C

T C

Understandthe

Direction

What challengeare we strivingto meet?

ONE WAY TO DEFINETHE PROCESS-LEVEL CHALLENGE

IS WITH FUTURE-STATE VS MAPPINGA useful tool for the first step of the Improvement Kata

You can get going with the Improvement Kataby defining a challenge theme with future-state value stream mapping. A future-state VSmap is sometimes called a Challenge Map.

Challenges based on future-state value streammapping often relate to shortening lead time.

Value Stream

Mapping


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A FUTURE-STATE VALUE STREAM MAP COORDINATESIMPROVEMENT AT INDIVIDUAL PROCESSES

A future-state map describes in a graphic format howyou want a value stream to be functioning in 1-3 years.The future-state value stream map provides anoverarching challenge & coordination for establishingtarget conditions at the individual work processesinside a value stream.

What does this process need

to do to help achieve thefuture-state value stream design?

See p.86 inLearning to See


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Learner " sStoryboard

CoachLearner

Target Condition

(date)

Current Condition Challenge Obstacles Vision

Target Conditions

Successive

1 Week to3 Months out

Describes the nextdesired condition,to be reached by aspecified achieve-

by date.

Of course, having a challenge without the ability toexecute would be ineffective. Looking ahead to the restof the Improvement Kata (where execution takes place)...It" s a series of Target Conditions that day-to-dayimprovement efforts at each level will be aiming for.


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Finally... Obstacles to each target conditionare where rapid experimentation takes placeThis = iterating (experimenting) toward the target condition

Challenge Obstacles Vision Current

Condition Target

Condition

Here we " ve reached the level wherethe action of improvement, adaptation,evolution and innovation takes place.

You work on only those obstaclesthat you successivly find arepreventing you from achieving thespecified target condition.

Through that target condition (thestrive vector ) the experimentsare linked to achieving the challenge.


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VISION 1x1 Flow

CHALLENGEOR THEME Paint in Line

NEXT TARGETCONDITION

In-Line Oven

Chain conveyoris derailing

More Specific

More General

Detailed Experiments are here

(attributes defined)

A MANUFACTURING EXAMPLEA team is following the Improvement Kata pattern

to develop an in-line paint-drying oven

ChainConveyor

Drying Oven

Current Obstacle:

The chain conveyor derailswhen parts are hung on it.The team is nowexperimenting here.

CURRENTOBSTACLE


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6 Months to3 Years out

FarAway

1 Week to3 Months out

This trajectory goes frommore specific & measurableon the lower left, to lessspecific & measureableon the upper right.

SUMMARY

direction for the kata way

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