{"id":3854,"date":"2022-11-06T11:56:18","date_gmt":"2022-11-06T11:56:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beta.twivietnam.vn\/?p=3854"},"modified":"2026-05-12T14:51:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T14:51:15","slug":"improvement-kata-a-structured-pattern-for-continuous-improvement-thinking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/twivietnam.vn\/en\/improvement-kata-a-structured-pattern-for-continuous-improvement-thinking\/","title":{"rendered":"Improvement Kata &#8211; A Structured Pattern for Continuous Improvement Thinking"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 fusion-flex-container nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start fusion-flex-content-wrap\" style=\"max-width:1248px;margin-left: calc(-4% \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-4% \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column\" style=\"--awb-bg-blend:overlay;--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:100%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:1.92%;--awb-margin-bottom-large:0px;--awb-spacing-left-large:1.92%;--awb-width-medium:100%;--awb-spacing-right-medium:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-medium:1.92%;--awb-width-small:100%;--awb-spacing-right-small:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-small:1.92%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"letter-spacing: 0.24px; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);\">Improvement Kata, as presented by <\/span><em style=\"letter-spacing: 0.24px; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);\">Mike Rother<\/em><span style=\"letter-spacing: 0.24px; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);\">, is described using the term <\/span><em style=\"letter-spacing: 0.24px; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);\">Scientific Thinking Patterns<\/em><span style=\"letter-spacing: 0.24px; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);\">. This concept is formally researched and published in the book <\/span><em style=\"letter-spacing: 0.24px; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);\">Toyota Kata (2009).<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">An interesting point Mike shared is that the original manuscript submitted to the publisher was titled <em>\u201cBeyond What You Can See.\u201d<\/em> From a personal perspective, this title most closely reflects the true nature of the book &#8211; what lies beneath what is visible.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Scientific Thinking is essentially a goal-oriented pursuit of knowledge. It involves forming hypotheses, asking questions, testing through experiments, relying on evidence and observation, identifying patterns of operation, and serving as a foundation for decision-making.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Organizations, teams, and individuals who apply Scientific Thinking typically demonstrate the following characteristics:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Continuously learning and developing understanding to achieve challenges<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Questioning the gap between current conditions and desired outcomes<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Testing hypotheses and drawing conclusions based on experimental evidence (not merely experience)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This research aims to answer two important questions:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em style=\"letter-spacing: 0.24px; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);\">What are the underlying thinking patterns and daily management practices\u2014often invisible\u2014that drive the remarkable achievements of Lean Toyota?<\/em><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em style=\"letter-spacing: 0.24px; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);\">(What we usually see are tools, visual boards, methods, solutions, and improvement ideas applied to help organizations adapt and compete in a constantly changing environment.)<\/em><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>How can non-Toyota organizations learn and develop these thinking patterns within their own systems?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Why is this important?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">We can agree that Lean at Toyota is <em>not simply<\/em> a collection of tools such as 5S, visual management, processes, or value streams. Toyota\u2019s system was developed over many years &#8211; they did not start with predefined tools. These tools were later named and formalized after the system had matured and proven its superiority.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This explains why simply copying Lean tools is not effective.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Why?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Because tools are designed to solve specific problems. They may not fit every context, and it is impossible to copy everything everywhere.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">What is much harder to see is that, over time, Toyota has built a management philosophy and a way of working together that develops people who think, generate knowledge, and continuously improve.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>For those interested in Lean, a common question is: <em>What is Lean?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">There are many definitions, such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lean is waste reduction<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lean is achieving more with fewer resources<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another perspective:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"letter-spacing: 0.24px;\">Lean is a system for continuously developing people who carry out continuous improvement.<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"letter-spacing: 0.24px;\">At its core, Lean is about learning.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This may not be the only definition, but it is one of the most meaningful.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In reality, applying Lean tools alone is not sufficient and can even create skepticism. There is no universal solution for all contexts. For example, it would be unreasonable to apply Kanban everywhere.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Improvement Kata<\/strong> provides a clearer picture of:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Management thinking patterns<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">How teams work together<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">These elements are often \u201cinvisible\u201d but critically important.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Perhaps one of the most valuable contributions is that the author has made these thinking patterns <em>visible &#8211; <\/em>so they can be learned, practiced, and developed (through what is known as Starter Kata).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Questions for further exploration:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">What is Improvement Kata? (What is \u201cKata\u201d?)<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">What Improvement Kata is <em>not<\/em><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">How does it benefit organizations?<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">How is it different from conventional improvement approaches?<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">How can organizations learn and adopt it effectively?<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">What does a successful Kata-driven organization look like?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong style=\"letter-spacing: 0.24px; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);\">Further Reading:<\/strong> <a style=\"letter-spacing: 0.24px; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);\" href=\"http:\/\/twivietnam.vn\/attachment\/twi\/files\/ToyotaKata_BackgroundIntro2FundamentalKataIKCK.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Improvement Kata materials<\/a><span style=\"letter-spacing: 0.24px; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);\"> (attached)<\/span><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong style=\"letter-spacing: 0.24px; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);\"><a href=\"http:\/\/twivietnam.vn\/\/lien-he.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Contact us<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.24px; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);\"> to learn more about Improvement Kata programs<\/span><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[54,58,53,44],"class_list":["post-3854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-insights","tag-kata","tag-management","tag-toyotakata","tag-trainingwithinindustry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - 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