If you have been doing agile retrospectives for a few years and a lot of problems and great improvement opportunities are raised but nothing seems to really improve. Try overlaying Toyota Kata to get focused and continuous improvement. Create the habits of continuous improvement.

1. OVERLAY TOYATA KATA
ON YOUR SPRINT
RETROSPECTIVE
Saikat Das – Sr. Manager Engineering & Agile Coach
“To improve is to change, to be perfect is to change often” - Winston Churchill

2. By Mike Rother
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3. HOUSE OF LEAN
It provides a vision for Toyota's culture and makes us think about the culture we desire
By Mike Rother
Scientific way
of thinking
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8. IT'S ABOUT
DEVELOP
ING
SCIENTIFIC
THINKING
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9. SCIENTIFIC THINKING
Scientific thinking is a routine of intentional coordination between what
we think will happen (theory), what actually happens (evidence), and
adjusting based on what we learn from the difference.
What we
expect
to happen
What
actually
happened
Learning
"Let'stryitandsee"
By Mike Rother
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10. PRACTICING FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS
FOR SCIENTIFIC THINKING
Visible
Lean tools and techniques
to improve quality, cost
and delivery
By Mike Rother
Less
Visible
• A systematic, scientific
way of thinking and acting
• Managers as the teachers
of that way
What we're focusing on
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11. This is
how you
do it
COACHING l
Corrective
feedback
to ensure the
Learner practices
the right
patterns
MASTERY m
Growing self efficacy
"I'm getting better at
this"
k STARTER
KATA
Structured routines
for beginners
to practice
fundamentals
j FREQUENT
PRACTICE
A little every day
4 INGREDIENTS FOR ACQUIRING NEW SKILLS
The following ingredients help us rewire our brain (new neural circuits) to
acquire new skills & mindset.
By Mike Rother
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12. THE FOUR STEPS OF THE
IMPROVEMENT KATA MODEL
1 2 3 4
A systematic, scientific pattern of working
Remember: The Improvement Kata combines
scientific steps + techniques of deliberate practice for
each step, to develop effective problem solving skill
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Understand
the Direction
or Challenge
Grasp the
Current
Condition
Establish the
Next Target
Condition
CC
TC
Experiment
Toward the
Target Condition
Planning
Phase
Executing
Phase

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14. 14
Important point: Toyota's success has come from striving
scientifically for all sorts of challenging goals, not just from
"eliminating waste" for greater efficiency.
THE IMPROVEMENT KATA PATTERN
Conduct Experiments
to get thereGrasp the
Current
Condition
Establish
your Next
Target
Condition
Direction or
Challenge
1
2 3
4
The IK pattern is similar to other models of the human creative,
scientific process: Systems thinking,
learning organization, design thinking,
creative thinking, solution focused
practice, skills of inquiry,
evidence-based learning.
By Mike Rother
A systematic, scientific way of working

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QUICK DEFINITIONS
The Improvement Kata: A practical four-step model of scientific of thinking and
acting, for achieving challenging goals.
The Improvement Kata includes practice routines for
each step, for learning through practice how to work scientifically when you
pursue goals in complex systems.
The Coaching Kata: Is a pattern for teaching the Improvement Kata pattern of
thinking and acting.
The Coaching Kata includes practice routines for anyone who wants to teach the
Improvement Kata pattern.

16. LEVELS OF IK/CK SKILL DEVELOPMENT
To coach the Improvement Kata, managers first
need experience with applying the Improvement Kata
Concepts and information alone
generally don’t change anything
AWARE of it
Skill development
begins here
Learning begins when
you start applying the
Improvement Kata yourself
Able to DO it
Able to TEACH it
Here you understand the
thinking behind the Kata.
Now you can coach others
and evolve your own Kata.
By Mike Rother
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17. By Mike Rother
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(Manager)
THE IMPROVEMENT KATA + THE COACHING KATA
Remember: It’s a methodology for developing people
to meet challenges
Improvement
Kata
Coaching
Kata
Understand
the
Direction or
Challenge
Grasp the
Current
Condition
Establish
the Next
Target
Condition
Experiment
Toward the
Target
Condition
‘Executing’
Coaching
Cycles
‘Planning’ Coaching Cycles
Learner
Coach

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HOW DOES KATA FIT IN SOFTWARE
DEVELOPMENT IMPROVEMENT
PROCESS?
SCRUM
KANBAN

19. DAILY MANAGEMENT GENERATES IDEAS
We are finally
engaging team
members in
daily huddles.
Team
members are
making great
suggestions!
We have
standards and
deviations are
noticed!
Unfortunately, these
actions alone often lead
to the unscientific
'action-item-list'
approach
By Mike Rother
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20. From: Håkan Forss
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21. RETROSPECTIVE : PUT SOME KATA IN IT
• Try to maintain standards by reacting to abnormalities.
• Activities should be undertaken incorporating a scientific thinking pattern.
• It's a good idea to think of any standard as a goal, and to pursue it scientifically
with the routines of the Improvement Kata and Coaching Kata.
Retrospectives Unscientific
responses
to abnormalities
Toyota kata - Scientific
responses
to abnormalities
Illustration from Toyota Kata, page 115
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22. 22
From: Håkan Forss

23. 23From: Håkan Forss

24. 24
From: Håkan Forss

25. 25
From: Håkan Forss

26. Five Coaching
Kata Questions
Run Charts
Learner's Storyboard
Obstacles
Parking Lot
PDCA
Cycles
Record
Coaching Cycle
26
Challenge
Current
Condition
Analysis
Target
Condition
Definition
COACH
LEARNER
By Mike Rother
THE IMPROVEMENT KATA + THE COACHING KATA

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28. THE LEARNER'S STORYBOARD
By Mike Rother
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29. Card is downloadable at: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mrother/KATA_Files/5Q_Card.pdf
By Mike Rother
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THE FIVE COACHING KATA QUESTIONS

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Hypothesis Prediction
Hypot
hesis
Predi
ctions
Experi
ment
Obser
vation Observation
Expect at least 50% of the
Experiments will not give
the expected result
This is when we REALLY
learn !

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THE FIVE COACHING KATA QUESTIONS AND
THE PDCA CYCLES RECORD ARE USED TOGETHER
Used by the Coach Used by the Learner
5-Question Coaching
Dialog
Rapid PDCA Cycles

32. Derived from: Håkan Forss presentation 32
What are we
trying to
achieve
KANBAN KATA IN PRACTICE (Start)
User Story X,
Y and Z
should be
done
Wednesday
Code Ready
for release
on every
Wednesday
Where are we
now?
We might not
get user story
X Done by
Wednesday
The trunk is
currently not
stable. We
can’t release
until it’s stable
What is
now in our
way?
Last bug fix
made the
automated
tests fail
What’s
our next
step and
what do
we expect
One
member is
analyzing
and fix is
expected
today
What do we
learn from
taking that
step
Analysis
and fix
expected at
X hrs
Let’s have
check point
at X hrs
Target Condition Current Condition What Happened/
Obstacles
PDCA Observations/
Learnings

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KANBAN KATA IN PRACTICE ( At X hours)
Found Test
Data missing
Get user
story X
Done by
Wednesday
Make trunk
stable to
release
Consider a
way to
validate the
test data
before we
check-in to
the trunk
Last bug fix
made the
automated
tests fail
How to
Validate
test data
simply
Recommen
dation
to invest
time in
validating
test data
Target Condition Current Condition What Happened/
Obstacles
PDCA Observations/
Learnings
Identify
Simple way
to validate
test data
When to
see
learning
from this
step?
Review
Weekly
Derived from: Håkan Forss presentation

34. 34
By Mike Rother

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By Mike Rother

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Derived from: Håkan
Forss presentation

37. 37
KANBAN KATA IN PRACTICE
Current Condition: Almost there on small user stories but not on the medium and large
Obstacles Identified: Test time setup
Derived from: Håkan Forss
presentation

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KANBAN KATA IN PRACTICE
Target Condition: Automate Test Cases
Obstacles Identified: Major Step considered – smaller step needed

39. 1. Name of the Improvement Theme
2. Now/Problem – Description of the current
situation
3. Definition of Awesome – How would we like it to
be?
4. Next Target Condition – X weeks from now, what
has changed?
5. First Steps – 3 slots for three post-its that describe
the first (next) actions we will take?
It’s a living document, preferable put up next to the
scrum/Kanban wall. Once or twice a week the team
reviews the theme and agrees upon new actions as
they get completed.
By by Jimmy Janlén
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Toyota Kata Made Simple: Improvement Theme

40. 1. Name of the Improvement Theme
2. Now/Problem – Description of the current
situation
3. Definition of Awesome – How would we like it to
be?
4. Next Target Condition – X weeks from now, what
has changed?
5. First Steps – 3 slots for three post-its that describe
the first (next) actions we will take?
It’s a living document, preferable put up next to the
scrum/Kanban wall. Once or twice a week the team
reviews the theme and agrees upon new actions as
they get completed.
By by Jimmy Janlén
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Toyota Kata Made Simple: Improvement Theme

41. Gather suggestions for themes
Around: Good/Bad/Could be improved
• Run a “standard” retrospective, gathering
comments and reflections on what has been
good and what could be better
• Good – I’m happy this happened
• Appreciation – Thank you for
<contribution/help/effort/insight/etc.>
• Frustrations – Things that make me
frustrated. This have to change.
• More! – We need to do more of this
• “Mysteries” – Things I don’t understand.
How come…? Why is it that…?)
 Once all the post-its are up don’t jump into identifying improvements or retrospective actions.
 Instead draw a couple of circles and then try to find patterns.
 Move related notes into the circles and then finally label the circles. Not all notes needs to end up
in circles.
 The labels then become the Improvement Theme suggestions. And as a bonus we have some input
data for further discussions.
By by Jimmy Janlén
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Toyota Kata Made Simple: Improvement Theme

42. • Choose an Improvement Theme through voting, or discussion,
• Select a theme to focus on.
• If it is a very big team (>10 people) perhaps there is enough people to
work on two Improvement Themes. If you choose to work on two (or
By by Jimmy Janlén
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Toyota Kata Made Simple: Improvement Theme

43. • Decide upon when to follow up and re-evaluate
• If possible, book a review meeting immediately. When the date of “Next
target Condition” is up it is time to reflect upon the Improvement Theme.
• We ask ourselves
* Did we reach the target condition?
* How much have we moved away from “Now/Problem”?
* How much closer are we to our “Definition of Awesome”?
* Does our theme still feel relevant? If yes, identify a new Next Target
Condition. If not, create a new
By Jimmy Janlén
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Toyota Kata Made Simple: Improvement Theme

44. ROLES / ORG STRUCTURE FOR PRACTICING
By Mike Rother
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Learner's
Storyboard
Team
Learner
Practices the
Improvement Kata
Coach
(Manager
)
Practices the
Coaching Kata
2nd Coach
Coaches
the
Coach

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WHAT KATA DEPLOYMENT OFTEN LOOKS LIKE
Don’t try to expand Improvment Kata practice faster
than you can develop internal Coaching Kata proficiency!
Phase I Phase II Phase III
Scouts
study the
subject
Form
AG
AG and first
coaches practice
the IK
AdvanceGroupmakes6or12-monthplan
Advance Group conducts bi-weekly
reflections
Slice 1 (a process, area, department, VS
Loop, etc.)
Slice 2
Slice 3
Slice 4
AdvanceGroupreflectionandnextplan
Increasing number of
managers in the
organization who are
proficient as IK coachesForm an "Advance
Group," i.e., which
practices first
AG works toward a
series of 3 target
conditions
(does ~ 25 PDCA
cycles)
on real processes
External
Coach's
Role
(consultant)
Initial instructor & coach
On site every ~ 2 weeks
2nd coach
On site every 2 - 4 weeks As needed

46. ASK THE FIVE QUESTIONS AT EACH STEP
By Mike Rother
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