Foundational Knowledge

Why Does Scientific Thinking Matter? What is it?

A way of developing the systematic pursuit of desired conditions by utilising human capabilities in a concerted way.
Most companies are lead, managed and populated by thoughtful, hardworking people who want their team, their organisation, to succeed. So what is it that makes organisations fall behind and sometimes fail? The conclusion is it’s not the people but rather the prevailing management system within which we work that is the culprit. We need a more effective way of leading and managing people, and of ensuring our organisations find their way into the future. Through an initially structured pathway provided by the Toyota Kata patterns, the combination of scientific thinking and deliberate practice drives a cycle of “Think, Do, Learn” to meet business goals.

What Is ‘Kata’?

‘Toyota Kata’ represents two routines that when deliberately practised develop highly desirable behaviours (habits) – a) scientific thinking and b) coaching of scientific thinking.

This begs the question ‘what is scientific thinking?’ From a business perspective, scientific thinking is the logical and rational way of consistently and reliably working through the unknown toward a predetermined (and required) goal. It is how people will strive to achieve a level of performance your organization has not been able to previously achieve.

The first ‘kata’, the Improvement Kata, arose from Mike Rother’s first research question (around 2003) which was “What are the unseen managerial routines and thinking that lie behind Toyota’s success with continuous improvement and adaptation?” There were several ‘unseen managerial routines’ identified all having a common base – scientific thinking. Rother was then challenged with how such a base behaviour could be developed. To use his words, “telling people what’s good doesn’t change behaviours”. Hence arose his second research question which was “How can other companies develop similar routines and thinking in their organizations?” In answering this question, the two routines emerged:

“The best short introduction to Toyota Kata I’ve seen.”

Mike Rother

Toyota Kata

Developing the skills to adapt and thrive in today’s dynamic marketplace.
The need for change is inevitable these days. Competitors emerge, customers have new needs, and new technologies come along. How must your organisation think and behave in order to continue to be successful amidst unpredictability?
Toyota Kata Knowledge Certification is a flexible on-line program providing precursory Toyota Kata knowledge to accelerate individual and organizational results.
This program offers video lessons and certifying questions identified by TWI Institute Toyota Kata Master Trainers and affiliate Trainers. Upon successful completion of all questions you will receive your Toyota Kata Knowledge Certificate.
People often ask “have you got a presentation we can use that helps communicate what “Toyota Kata” is about?”
But Mike Rother often says “Hoping to create new behaviours by explaining or trying to convince people doesn’t really work. The explanation may be correct, but it doesn’t change us.” Perhaps consider Kata in the Classroom as a means of starting a conversation about the potential value of the Toyota Kata patterns.