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Leading, Learning, Innovation

How to unfold extraordinary human capabilities using the Improvement Kata

Gerd Aulinger, 2012

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

What you see here shouldnt work at all, but it does!

The inline powder-coating equipment in this cell takes up just 11 m2 and cost only 60,000. External logistics were eliminated and coating costs halved, while quality was improved. All this was done although coating experts said it couldnt be done!
2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de 2

What turns ordinary people into real, creative innovators?

Powder-coating equipment built entirely by ordinary Festool staff with no powder-coating experience. Their advantage? They didnt know much, they had no preconceptions and, above all, they didnt know that it couldnt be done, but they did have a Kata!
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Kata are routines practiced deliberately

to master new ways of acting and thinking, making them unconscious habits
The word Kata is derived from learning routines used to internalize combat techniques in the Japanese martial arts. They are practiced in order to make this techniques second nature and thereby fast, reflex reactions, necessary, for example in unpredictable combat situations.

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

The Improvement Kata is a routine used to make striving and scientific learning a daily habit

Where we are

and where we need to be!

? ? ?

? ? ?

Learning task
? ? ?
1- Challenging 2- Solvable 3- Solution-neutral 4- No solution known

?
?

Current capabilities

?
?

Unsolved problems and obstacles

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

Why do we need an Improvement Kata?

What might be the role of managers in this?

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

Organisations will never be better than their people

Good results
through

Good processes
through

Good employees
(capable x motivated) through

Good leadership

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

For economic reasons alone, it makes sense to ask: What do you enjoy about work?

Typical answers given during brainstorming sessions:

Overcoming challenges Learning Variety, trying new things Team spirit, constructive exchange of ideas, sense of belonging Recognition and praise, celebrating successes Seeing progress, improving, making a difference Helping other people in their work Scope for development, personal responsibility Etc.

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

Brains are learning organs, so they reward us with joy when we learn (for example by means of serotonin)

Brain activity measured using computed tomography, presented by Prof. Gerald Hther at Production Systems 2009

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

What does an appropriate learning task look like?

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

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A good example of a challenging learning task

Product specifications
- Maximum speed = 250 km/h - Number of passengers = 1-5 pax - Safety = 5 star Euro NCAP - Boot space > 700 litres - Range > 1,000 km

AND
- CO2 emissions = 0 - Sale price < 30,000

This learning task is good because it is:

1- Challenging 2- Solvable 3- Solution-neutral 4- No solution is known
2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de 11

Good target conditions make a task a learning task

3 connected machining centres with a total reliability of 50% So a target of 70% is set! Reliability = 0.8 x 0.8 x 0.8 50%
R = 0.8 R = 0.8 R = 0.8

The path of least resistance: buffering the disruptions. No real improvement and nothing is learned! Target:
R = 0.8 R = 0.8 R = 0.8

Reliability = 70%

Target condition: Not defined!

A challenging target condition. Now we must learn in order to achieve the goal! Target:
R = 0.9 R = 0.9 R = 0.9

Reliability = 70%

Target condition: Buffers = 0 R1=R2=R3 = 90%

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2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

Coating facility developed in small learning steps and experiments, most of which led to negative results

Since science (and coating equipment!) evolves through refuted hypotheses, we usually used cheap and easy to rebuild cardboard and old equipment for the initial experiments.

Not until we were sure if and how it would work did we build production versions.

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

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Where do teams in organisations get their learning tasks?

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

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Disruptive innovations are new solutions to old problems

Fine tuning an existing technology or innovating on the ongoing problem of knowledge transmission?

Printed encyclopedia

Our current capabilities and solutions

Customers problems and needs

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

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You dont run to where the ball is, but to where its going to be!
Just fine-tuning our core competencies doesnt guarantee our future success. Although we are advised to focus on them, this may be a trap.

We should also focus on our core in-competencies

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

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Do you know your organisations core in-competencies?

A definition:

Core in-competencies: currently non-existent

competencies that can become future core competencies, and indispensable for your organizations long-term competitiveness and survival.

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

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Customers dont want drills

Company

, they want holes!

Customer

Our current capabilities and solutions

Examples of current solutions Car with combustion engine Kerosene-powered aircraft DVDs and CDs Chemical photography Drill The solutions our company offers are based on its current competencies and expertise.
2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

Their problems and needs

and the underlying neutral needs: Personal mobility Flying Films and music Photography Holes Customer problems and needs are by their nature of longer duration than the solutions offered by our companies, they are solutionneutral.
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Why should someone voluntarily enter the learning zone, with all its attendant risks?

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

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If you think it can be done or if you think it cant be done, you will be right! - Henry Ford
Challenge Mindset
It cannot be done! Why? Negative line of argument Search for problems It can be done!

Why?
Positive line of argument Search for solutions High probability of success

Low probability of success

I told you: it cannot be done! . I told you: it can be done!

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

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Learning organisations feel comfortable with striving to learn about their core in-competencies
Core competencies: focus on what we can do well Innovation: focus on what we cant yet do

Company

Customer

Company

Customer

Current capabilities and solutions

Problems and needs

Current capabilities and solutions

Problems and needs

I avoid it! Im OK with it! I like it!

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de 21

Regular Kata practice and coaching can change a conservative mindset into an open, explorative attitude
Explorative attitude of an experienced kata practitioner

Conservative attitude (the norm)

Explorative attitude of a kata novice

Certainty

Certainty

Certainty

I avoid it! Im OK with it! I like it!

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Through frequent practice more electrical impulses are fired and synapses are trained to perform better.

Untrained synapse

Trained synapse

changeable chemical bond

High electrical resistance

Low electrical resistance

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

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Which management routines help us develop people for the learning zone?

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

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Its through coaching that the mentee learns how to apply the Improvement Kata in a natural way
The Improvement Kata:
1- Target condition?

? ?
4 - Next step?

? ? ? ?

? ?
?

?
? ?

? ?

1- Challenging 2- Solvable 3- Solution-neutral 4- Theres no solution known

2- Current condition?

3 - Current obstacles?

5 When can we go and see?

The Coaching Katas 5 questions:

1- What is the target condition for this process? 2- What is the current condition of this process? 3- What obstacles are currently preventing you from achieving the target condition? 4- Which one obstacle will you tackle next and what is therefore your next step? 5- When will we be able to see what you have learned from the next step?

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

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Dont forget, fearful beginners need your experience and coaching support to learn to accept the uncertainty-zone
Since the beginner feels stress
the experienced coach should transmit confidence
Target condition
?

? ?

? ?

? ? ?

?
?

Target condition
?

? ?

? ? ?

Current condition

Unsolved problems

Current condition

Unsolved problems

I avoid it! Im OK with it! I like it!

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

Being allowed to make mistakes is essential for scientific work and learning. The coach must understand this in order to be accepted by his mentee as a teacher, criticism and control should be avoided at any time!
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Kata coaching cascade consisting of four roles, only 1 and 2 should solve process problems.
Level 1 Development of (production) processes Level 2 Employee and organisation development
4 3
CK2

2
1
IK

CK1

Coach-Coach

Coach

Employee in the process

Process improver (employee on the process)

1 2 3 4

Employee in the process: Can I work according to standard? Process improver: Is the (production) process running according to standard? Coach: Is the improvement process running according to the IK? Coach-Coach: Is the coaching process running according to the CK?
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2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

What can we learn from this for our organisations?

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

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Most automotive manufacturers build good cars. We build good people who build good cars - Toyota

Optimisation by experts in periodic workshops

Optimisation by everybody everyday!

The Improvers The Improvers

Process
Improvement capacity and innovation remain unharnessed and are kept small.

Process
Improvement capacity and innovation are fully harnessed and get expanded continually.

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

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More than only choosing tasks that suit our capabilities, we should also develop and use our special human capabilities to meet new challenges

Sell our capabilities Customer Develop new capabilities Future knowledge threshold

Company

Current knowledge threshold

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

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If organisations will never be better than their people, where should managers be investing their time?
Good results
through

Focus in the past:

+ ROI-based decisions + Mistrust and control + Extrinsic motivation

Good processes
through

Good employees
(capable x motivated)

Focus from now on:

through + Improvement Kata including target costing + Employee development via Coaching Kata + Intrinsic motivation

Good leadership
2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

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Welcome to www.verbesserungskata.de

Leading, Learning, Innovation

How to unfold extraordinary human capabilities using the Improvement Kata

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

32

Gerardo Aulinger
Gerd Aulinger has worked as a researcher, consultant and trainer for the past 15 years. From 2007 to 2011 he was in charge of stationary-device production at Festools Neidlingen plant, overall winner of Germanys 2008 Factory of the Year competition. Gerds initial focus was on the management of production optimisation and design projects in various industries. He has since focused increasingly on development and field-testing of modern, Toyotainspired management methods. Gerds approaches are geared towards maximising flow by optimising employee skill development and motivation. Toward this end he coaches managers and leaders in the application of the Improvement and Coaching Kata with a view to achieving exceptional results.

Gerardo Aulinger
Kata ambassador, researcher, management trainer and coach
E-mail: gerardoaulinger@aol.com Mobile: +49 170 2134018

2012 Gerardo Aulinger, www.verbesserungskata.de

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