The best of KataCon4 Kata Summit in Atlanta, GA in 2018, in the opinion of this attendee, Christopher Ferrier. Combines pictures from the Lean Frontiers webpage, the attendee's own pictures, screenshots of selected presenters' slides, and typed notes taken by the attendee.

1. KataCon4 FEBRUARY 22-23, 2018
Out Brief
Kata Summit 2018
Atlanta, GA
Lean Frontiers
CIS Representatives
Christopher Ferrier, SoCal
Reymundo Gloria, NorCal

2. Topics Map
Experiments Record
Kata Admin
The Kata Code
Coaching Tips
Learning Tips
Calls To Action
Gold Nuggets from
the experts

4. Kata Administration
• Change PDCA to Experiments – No Jargon
Experiments Record

5. Kata Administration

6. The Kata Code
1. Conditions are unpredictable
2. Enjoy the Learning Zone
3. Understand the direction, Grasp the current
condition, Establish a target condition
4. Beginners practice Kata exactly
5. Have a coach, be a coach

8. The Kata Code
More motivating than the end goal is
overcoming obstacles along the way
Therefore, write descriptive
obstacles and coach for right-size
experiments to produce frequent
feelings of accomplishment
Mike Rother

9. The Challenge
1. Start with Challenges
2. Challenge Everyone
3. Tie Challenges to Business Objectives
Julie Simmons

10. Numbers-Only Challenges Can Be Dangerous
By December 2018 IFC
100% of drawings
outside the 2-week
production window,
with the revision rate
inside the 2-week
window <2%.
By December 2018 IFC 100%
of drawings outside the 2-
week production window, with
the revision rate inside the 2-
week window <2% in a way
that optimizes for what is best
for the company, and our
customers, overall.

16. Current Condition
• Grasp
• Not about looking for waste
• What is the operating pattern?
• What would the customer want you to notice?
• The social condition is part of it too
Mike Radkte

21. Target Condition
Susan Janus
• Don’t go too easy, or too hard
• We only have to set the next one
• Mindset takes daily practice
• Coaches are helpful for everyone
• On hard days say, “We are earning it!”
• IK/CK is a gift from the heart

27. Obstacles
• Obstacles are the heartbeat of Kata
• More motivating than the end goal is
overcoming obstacles along the way
• People enjoy overcoming obstacles
• The target is irrelevant – Everyone can
experience the same feeling of accomplishment
Mike Rother

28. Obstacles
“ The best obstacle parking lots are written
in black ink, red ink, blue ink, green
ink, highlighter, lipstick…”
The default response of experienced
learners is to immediately run to the board
and update the obstacles every time a new
one pops up during an experiment
Write it, before we forget.
The most active part
The heartbeat
Brandon Brown

29. Obstacles
Well-written obstacles take a
characteristic and flesh it out a
step further
- Root Cause tools
- What is the negative impact?
- Specific – “Need 5S” vs “The silicone
gun was not where we needed it which
caused 5min of walking”

30. Experimenting
• Take a step with the intent of
learning something
“What obstacle are you
experimenting on?”
“What do you need to learn?”
Jeff Kopenitz

38. Coaching Tips
Tracey Defoe
• We’re all learning at the
storyboard
• Focus on feelings – as a
coach we can influence
feelings
• Honor Resistance. Normal in
adult learners, we expect it

42. Track where the
learner points
Watch what the
learner writes
Mirror the learner
Look interested
Be curious
Start with feet –
facing board “golden
triangle”
Coaching card in
hand – okay to wave,
point, and gesture
with it
Shoulders down –
relaxed.

46. Mike’s Comments
on Coaching
• Don’t leave learners in a state of
frustration or confusion
• The learners have to feel positive about
learning
• Keep it close-in and easy for beginners
• Make sure learners have some good
obstacle-overcoming experiences
Mike Rother, Dwayne Butcher

47. MAKE KATA FUN AGAIN

48. Learning Tips
• If you take care of your
board, your board will
take care of you

49. Learning Tips
• Point to your
board and read
what it says

50. Run the
experiment!

51. Gold Nuggets – Oscar Roche
• Strive – make great efforts to
achieve or obtain
• Get the opinions and feeling of
all involved
• Experiments are to remove the
obstacle
• How people think and feel is part
of the current condition and
should be considered

52. Gold Nuggets – Michael Lombard
• Every coaching cycle is an
opportunity to experiment
• Kata is a great way to deploy
strategy
• Having a coach helps us
maintain balance – chaos can
be good for getting results, but
we need to consider people’s
feelings
• Have a coach, be a coach

53. Gold Nuggets – Panel
Mike Rother, Michael Lombard,
Beth Carrington, Julie Simmons
On Honoring Resistance
“That was the best way you knew how
to do it up to yesterday. It got us to
where we are today. Can we partner to
look to see if there is an even better
way to do it tomorrow?”

54. Gold Nuggets – Skip Steward
• Be Intentional
• YouTube: Baptist Management System –
“Connecting the Dots”

55. Gold Nuggets – Richard Sheridan
“Let’s run the experiment!”
• Tear down the walls
• Two hearts : One Computer
• No bosses
• Babies at work
• Pairing
• Show and Tell
• Daily Standup – 70 people “Hey Menlo!”
• Extreme Interviewing

56. Gold Nuggets – Mark Rosenthal
“We are practicing the
building of
relationships between
people working
together toward a
common goal.”

57. Gold Nuggets – Mercy Health
1. Manage Processes
2. Develop People
3. Iterate toward a Challenge
Growth Mindset:
• Challenges help us grow
• I can develop my abilities
• Feedback is constructive
• Effort is necessary
• I am resilient

58. Gold Nuggets – John Shultz
• Kids (students) need
to own their education
journey
• Make actual
performance vs the
class as a whole
totally transparent

59. Calls to Action – Read This
“Jargon Free”

60. Calls to Action – Watch These

61. Calls to Action – Watch This

62. Calls to Action – Practice
Have a Coach, Be a Coach