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''Toyota Kata'' is a management book by
Mike Rother Mike Rother (born 1958, Michigan, USA) is an American researcher. He introduced the widespread business practices of ''Value Stream Mapping'' and Toyota Kata (Improvement Kata + Coaching Kata). He has been affiliated with the Industrial Technol ...
. The book explains the Improvement Kata and Coaching Kata, which are a means for making the
continual improvement process A continual improvement process, also often called a continuous improvement process (abbreviated as CIP or CI), is an ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes. These efforts can seek "incremental" improvement over time or "breakth ...
as observed at the
Toyota Production System The Toyota Production System (TPS) is an integrated socio-technical system, developed by Toyota, that comprises its management philosophy and practices. The TPS is a management system that organizes manufacturing and logistics for the automobile ma ...
teachable.


Overview

''Toyota Kata'' defines ''management'' as, “the systematic pursuit of desired conditions by utilizing human capabilities in a concerted way.” Rother proposes that it is not solutions themselves that provide sustained competitive advantage and long-term survival, but the degree to which an organization has mastered an effective routine for developing fitting solutions again and again, along unpredictable paths. This requires teaching the skills behind the solution. In this management approach a primary job of leaders and managers is to develop people so that desired results can be achieved. They do this by having the organization members (leaders and managers included) deliberately practice a routine, or
kata ''Kata'' is a Japanese word ( 型 or 形) meaning "form". It refers to a detailed choreographed pattern of martial arts movements made to be practised alone. It can also be reviewed within groups and in unison when training. It is practised ...
, that develops and channels their creative abilities. ''Kata'' are patterns that are practiced so they become second nature, and were originally movement sequences in martial arts.


The Improvement Kata

The improvement kata is a routine for moving from the current situation to a new situation in a creative, directed, meaningful way. It is based on a four-part model: # In consideration of a vision or direction... # Grasp the current condition. # Define the next target condition. # Move toward that target condition iteratively, which uncovers obstacles that need to be worked on. In contrast to approaches that attempt to predict the path and focus on implementation, the improvement kata builds on discovery that occurs along the way. Teams using the improvement kata learn as they strive to reach a target condition, and adapt based on what they are learning. ''Toyota Kata'' submits that the improvement-kata pattern of thinking and behavior is universal; applicable not only in business but in education, politics, daily living, etc.. The book's underlying message is that when people practice and learn a kata for how to proceed through unclear territory, they don't need to fear the obstacles, changes and unknowns they encounter. Rather than trying to hold on to a sense of certainty based on one's perspective, people can derive confidence from a kata for working through uncertainty. The notion of Improvement Kata as a process of continuous improvement contributed also to the formation of the DevOps movement. The DevOps Handbook: How to Create World-Class Agility, Reliability, and Security in Technology Organizations, Gene Kim, Patrick Debois, John Willis, Jezz Humble, 2016, p.6 and p.355


The Coaching Kata

The coaching kata is a routine used to teach the improvement kata and requires prior experience with practicing the improvement kata.


References

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External links

* Dave Moran
Book review
Software Results, 23 September 2011 * Dirk Dusharme

– interview with Mike Rother, QualityDigest.com, 10 June 2010 * Kata Practitioner Days KPD
Open source recommendations for running a KPD
– sample agendas and promotion ideas * KataCon
Annual Gathering of Kata Proponents
Business books 2009 non-fiction books