Toyota KataThe Truth Behind the Myth of the Learning Organization

Teemu ToivonenTomi Lamminsalo

Tomi Lamminsalo works as a developement manager in Aalto University IT.Tomi has used Toyota Kata methods and tools succesfully in a large program.Professional Interests:Agile, Lean, coaching, systems thinking and service management.

Teemu Toivonen works as manager of application services in Aalto University IT. Strong background in Agile and Lean. Three years of experience in Toyota Kata problem solving and coachingProfessional Interests:Agile, Lean, coaching ja systems thinking.

• Customers– Students: 19 993– Staff: 5 330– 6 schools– Stakeholders (mm. alumni, open uni

students): > 80 000

• Resources– Budget

• Centralized IT: 17,4 M € / 425,3 M €• Total costs of all IT in Aalto University

30,1 M €

– IT-staff• 138,7 Centralized IT FTE• 210,9 Total IT FTE

Photograph: Aino Huovio ARTS alumni

Aalto University in numbers

What is a learning organization?

Discuss briefly with your partner, what you think is a learning organization.

Manage by developing

these capabilities

Capability-1: Systems design and operation

Capability-2: Problem solving

Capability-3: Knowledge

sharing

http://troikka.wordpress.com/2013/09/10/what-is-a-learning-organization-part-13/

The Role of Toyota KataToyota Kata

Goal for the eventYou will have a basic understanding of the philosophy of Toyota Kata and how it works. This will be achieved by a combination of:• Short lectures• Discussion• Exercises

Engaging conversation is more important than quiet listening so when you have a question or comment please

share it!

What is a Kata?Kata is a routine or repeating pattern for doing something

Why are habits and routines important?

• Can someone describe shortly the difference between driving a car:– The first time they drove – After several years of experience

Routines and habits are the bases for effective and efficient action!

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

- Aristoteles

Toyota Kata is about creating habits that create excellence.

The Philosophy Behind Toyota Kata

1. The second law of thermodynamics: everything deteriorates over time – There is no stable condition that can be

maintained– The only solution is to improve

constantly

2. Grow people and maximize human potential by engaging people to continually improve as part of their everyday work

Improvement

Entropy

Mentee

Improvement Kata Coaching Kata

Mentor

Toyota Kata

Philosophy:• Continually improve as part of everyday work to get

better and fight entropy• Grow people and maximize human potential by engaging

them in the improvement through Toyota Kata

Questions or comments about the

overview?

Toyota Kata is two behavioral routines to realize these goals

Improvement Kata

Long term vision”North Star”

1. Understand the direction2. Understand the current

condition3. Define the Next target condition4. Experiment your way to the

target5. Start over

Next target condition

A good target condition is abouth a

month away

PDCA-experiment1. Hypothesis2. Experiment3. Result4. Learning

PDCA experimentyour way to the target

Current conditionUnderstand deeply

1. Long term vision

• Also known as “True North” or “North Star”• Sets the direction for short term plans• Is brief and describes the outcome and the

process• Toyota manufacturing example paraphrased: – “One piece flow, zero defects and 100% value

adding steps (no waste)”• Does not need to be realistically achievable• Choose wisely

== TASK

This seems important!

This seems interesting

There is always too much to do and by

random choices you get nowhere

A team without a North Star

North Star

Things you must do!

Things you can do

Things you can do

A team with a North Star

2. Understand the current condition

• Understanding the current condition is the bases for going forward and means going deeper than the superficial lever– Involves Systems Thinking and a process viewpoint

• “Go and see”

It’s a lot harder to really see than

you’d guess

3. Set the target condition• A target condition describes both the outcome and process

and can be achieved in 1-3 months – In the beginning shorter is better for learning

• A good target condition is challenging– Just right, not too easy and not too difficult

• You can start with skeleton target (challenge) and fill in the details as you learn more (target condition)

A good target condition is just

beyond where you can see clearly

What are the obstacles?

• As part of understanding the current condition and setting the target condition you gain insights into the obstacles that are in your way

• Pick one (which one seems most important) and start finding your way toward your target condition one step at a time with PDCA experiments

4. PDCA experimentsWhat is your hypothesis?

Design a quick experimentWhat is the expected outcome?

Run the experiment“quick and light”

What was the actual outcome?Was it what you expected?

What did you learn?

Time for a new plan!or

How do I sustain the results?

Points of emphasis

Short iteration cycles Go and see Focus on learning

4. Navigate towards the target with experiments

Find the route to the target by learning from experiments and

focusing on the next step forward based on that learning

Example: Weight lose

• I will be using weight lose as an simple example of the concepts I’ll be talking about

Weight lose: North Star

• Enough exercise to stay on good shape and relax

• Eat healthy and good food• Spend quality time with

family and friends with good energy

• Get enough rest and downtime

Current condition: Weight lose

• Quality of food is poor and the amount of calories is too big– Especially too much carbohydrates and

fat• Not enough exercise

– Running every 2 weeks– Floorball every 2 weeks

• Weight 93 kilograms

Target condition: Weight lose

• Regular meal and snack schedule• Less calories per meal by healthy

composition of meals• Exercise

– Running 2-3 times a week– Floorball 1 time per week

• Lose 5 kilograms of weight in 3 months

Obstacles: Weight lose

• Meal sizes are too big – food is good and I like to eat• Too busy and tired to get exercise.

– Mostly a feeling rather than a fact.

Experiment Expected outcome Actual outcome Learning

Eat smaller meals• Lunch• Dinner

Less food consumption during the day

More unhealthy snacks in the afternoon and evening

Eating smaller meals makes me eat more snacks.

Lunch: Eat half meat/protein and half salad

Less calories during the day and protein will keep hunger away

Works out pretty much as planned, except when there is good desert

Eating salad and protein is good diet choice and makes it easy to eat less.

Increase floorball and running training by making commitment to friends to play once a week and go running twice

Social pressure will help me get more exercise

At the beginning difficult, but as it became a habit it got easier. Also exercise feels more bursty than steady running.

Social commitment is a good motivator. New habits are difficult in the beginning.

Experiments: Weight lose

Improvement Kata

Long term vision”North Star”

1. Understand the direction2. Understand the current condition3. Define the Next target condition4. Experiment your way to the target5. Start over

Next target condition

A good target condition is abouth a month

away. Describes both outcome and process

PDCA-experiment1. Hypothesis2. Experiment3. Result4. LearningRemember quick experiment cycles!

PDCA experimentyour way to the target

Points of emphasis

Current conditionUnderstand deeply

Short iteration cycles

Go and see

Focus on learning

Questions before the exercise?

Improvement Kata exercise

Improvement Kata exercise

• Make sure you have required tools to make notes: Written guide / sheets to write on.

• Think of a problem and long term goal (2 min)• Describe briefly what the current situation is (1 min)• Choose the target condition (2 min)• Choose first experiment:

– Experiment (1 min)– Hypothesis (1 min)– Actual Outcome (1 min)– What did you learn? (2 min)

• What’s your next experiment? (1 min)

The Coaching Kata

The purpose of the Coaching Kata is to teach and coach the Improvement Kata using real world problems as practice.

Mentee

Improvement Kata Coaching Kata

Mentor

When do you need a mentor/coach?

The need never goes a way. You can spend a lifetime learning the Improvement Kata and still have need for improvement. The role of the coach is to help you learn.

No one questions why world class athlete’s need coaches. Why should work be different?

The responsibilities of the mentor

• Teach the basics of the Improvement Kata to the mentee

• Develop the mentees abilities by coaching him in the use of the Improvement Kata through real problems/challenges

• The mentor can not give solutions to the mentee, but is responsible for the results

Requirements for the mentor

The mentor must have first hand knowledge and experience of using the Improvement Kata.

The mentor must be involved in the Improvement Kata in order to coach properly. Don’t coach blind.

Focus on understanding the long term direction and current condition in order to set a good and challenging next target condition.

Keep the target condition clear in the mind while focusing on the next step towards that target condition. A mindset of experimenting and learning is crucial.

Coaching Kata

Before the target condition is set

After the target condition is set

Coaching before the target condition is set

• Is there a clear and shared vision for the long term goal to set the direction?

• Does the mentee understand the current condition deeply?

• Does he know what is the next target condition? Do you need to give him a challenge that he can turn into the target condition?

Coaching after the target condition is set

The five questions:1. What is the target condition?2. What is the actual condition now?3. What obstacles are now preventing you from

reaching the target condition? Which one are you addressing now?

4. What is your next step (PDCA experiment)5. When can we go and see what we have learned

form taking that step?

From Toyota Kata by Mike Rother

The next step

The most important thing is making sure that the next step is clear for the mentee.

It is better for the mentee to figure out the next step, but if necessary the mentor can decide it. Go and see XYZ!

Remember routines are powerful…

… even in coaching!

Coaching questions

1. What is the North Star?2. What is the Current Condition?3. What is the next Target Condition?4. What is the first step?

1. What is the Target Condition?2. What is the Actual Condition?3. Which Obstacle are you working on?4. What is your Next Step5. When can we Go and See?

The purpose of the Coaching Kata is to teach and coach the Improvement Kata using real world problems as practice.

Coaching Kata

Before the target condition is set After the target condition is set

Key points

• Focus on guiding the Improvement Kata pattern• Ask question, don’t give answers • In unclear situations suggest: go and see• Remind the mentee about the key aspects of

the Improvement Kata• Short and frequent coaching discussions• Is the next step clear?

Coaching Kata exercise

Coaching Kata exercise• Take the pair you talked with earlier. Make sure you have required tools to

make notes: Written guide, pens, post it notes if needed.• Choose roles: Problem Solver (Mentee), Coach (Mentor).• Discussion 1, mentor asks (4 min):

– Long term goal?– What is the current condition?– What is the target condition?– What is the next step (first experiment)

• Imagine you did the experiment.• Discussion 2, mentor asks (6 min):

– What is the target condition?– What is the new current condition?– Which obstacle are you working on? What did you learn?– What is your next step?– When can we go and see the results?

A3 - template

A3-document

Mentee Mentor

A3 is a single page document to support the Improvement and Coaching Katas.

A3 – documents help to…

Create shared understandingLearn the Kata Create structure

(thinking and coaching)

The A3 is not a form to fill! It is a living document that is updated and revised throughout the Kata.

A3 and organizational learning

Solutions are documented together with their context

The why behind the solutions is also documented

A3 documents also reveal the thinking process that lead to

finding the solution

Share the failures. Worst practice is as valuable

as best practice

SUMMARY

• Remember it’s not about tools, it’s about creating habits that create excellence and continual improvement:– Improvement Kata– Coaching Kata

• If you want to study more you should definitely read this book.

• Any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us:– Teemu.toivonen@gmail.com, @number_9_– Tomi.lamminsalo@gmail.com, @thelamminsalo– http://troikka.wordpress.com

• Q & A