“ToyotaKatagetstotheessenceofhowToyotamanagescontinuousimprovementandhumaningenuity,throughitsimprovementkataandcoachingkata.MikeRotherexplainswhytypicalcompaniesfailtounderstandthecoreofleanandmakelimitedprogress--andwhatittakestomakeitarealpartofyourculture.“--JeffreyK.Liker,bestsellingauthorofTheToyotaWay“[ToyotaKatais]oneofthesteppingstonesthatwillusherinaneweraofmanagementthinking.“--TheSystemsThinker“Howanyorganizationinanyindustrycanprogressfromold-fashionedmanagementbyresultstoastrikinglydifferentandbetterway.“--JamesP.Womack,ChairmanandFounder,LeanEnterpriseInstitute“Practicingtheimprovementkataisperhapsthebestwaywe’vefoundsofarforactualizingPDCAinanorganization.“--JohnShook,ChairmanandCEO,LeanEnterpriseInstituteThisgame-changingbookputsyoubehindthecurtainatToyota,providingnewinsightintothelegendaryautomaker’smanagementpracticesandofferingpracticalguidanceforleadinganddevelopingpeopleinawaythatmakesthebestuseoftheirbrainpower.DrawingonsixyearsofresearchintoToyota’semployee-managementroutines,ToyotaKataexaminesandelucidates,forthefirsttime,thecompany’sorganizationalroutines--calledkata--thatpoweritssuccesswithcontinuousimprovementandadaptation.ThebookalsoreachesbeyondToyotatoexplainissuesofhumanbehaviorinorganizationsandprovidespecificanswerstoquestionssuchas:Howcanwemakeimprovementandadaptationpartofeverydayworkthroughouttheorganization?Howcanwedevelopandutilizethecapabilityofeveryoneintheorganizationtorepeatedlyworktowardandachievenewlevelsofperformance?Howcanwegiveanorganizationthepowertohandledynamic,unpredictablesituationsandkeepsatisfyingcustomers?MikeRotherexplainshowtoimproveourprevailingmanagementapproachthroughtheuseoftwokata:ImprovementKata--arepeatingroutineofestablishingchallengingtargetconditions,workingstep-by-stepthroughobstacles,andalwayslearningfromtheproblemsweencounter;andCoachingKata:apatternofteachingtheimprovementkatatoemployeesateveryleveltoensureitmotivatestheirwaysofthinkingandacting.Withcleardetail,anabundanceofpracticalexamples,andacohesiveexplanationfromstarttofinish,ToyotaKatagivesexecutivesandmanagersatanylevelactionableroutinesofthoughtandbehaviorthatproducesuperiorresultsandsustainedcompetitiveadvantage.
