3.

Kata Creates

Culture

5.

The TK

Starter Kata

Value Stream Mapping

Supporting Materials

Extras

1.

Improvement Kata

Challenge

2.

Coaching

Kata

4.

Getting

Started

TOYOTA

KATA

The

Improvement

Kata Exercise

Learn more about the Toyota Kata Starter Kata and get templates in this PowerPoint:

Download the PowerPoint

file by clicking this icon -->

(9MB)

Starter Kata are deliberate practice routines you begin with, to

help you internalize the fundamentals of a new skill. TK and its

Starter Kata are for practicing scientific-thinking patterns to the

point of habit, so you can apply them easily whenever necessary.

Instructions are in the Toyota Kata Practice Guide.

Starter Kata are especially useful if you want to create and scale

up a shared way of thinking and acting — a deliberate culture —

among a group of people, because everyone begins with the same

fundamentals and language. Each learner may progress differently from

that starting point, while the next new learner begins with the same Starter Kata.

Toyota Kata is practice that helps bond a team or organization together.

Always remember: The goal is not the Starter Kata themselves, which get used less

as you grow proficient, but the new habits of thinking & acting that practicing them

leaves behind. Once you internalize those scientific-thinking fundamentals you can

build on them and evolve your own approach. Eventually each organization finds their

own style, their own way, while the underlying scientific-thinking patterns remain intact.

Simple routines to help you start up and scale up

practice of scientific thinking

Click the graphic to download (pdf format)

A Starter Kata

This graphic nicely illustrates the role and purpose of Starter Kata: