For the past several months, Northwest Industrial Resource Center (NWIRC) has been offering no-cost, 2-hour workshops to introduce manufacturers and other businesses to kata as a means to achieve difficult goals and challenges. A 2-day Toyota Kata training session is now scheduled in St Marys to provide more in-depth training on using this practice with any continuous improvement initiatives. Tom Weible, NWIRC Strategic Business Advisor and TWI Certified Kata Trainer, will facilitate the class on August 21 & 22. Participants will develop their skills of scientific thinking to use in their daily work, and learn how to teach and coach others.
What is Kata?
Kata, commonly known in martial arts, is practicing a pattern of thinking and behaving until executed without hesitation. Think about the practice involved in learning an instrument or playing a sport. Toyota Kata is a structured way for managers and employees to achieve continuous improvement goals with a clear path to get there. According to Mike Rother, Researcher and Author of Toyota Kata, it’s teaching methods rather than solutions which he found to be a key component to Toyota’s efficiency.
Training Employees to be Problem-Solvers.
Improvement Kata and Coaching Kata training will help participants develop skills for doing and teaching a scientific routine of thinking (kata) in your daily work. The program includes hands-on exercises and simulation with mentoring by a TWI Institute Certified Kata Trainer. As an added bonus, participants will receive a 2-hour post-workshop coaching session for the participant and their manager to help get Kata going at their facility.
The class will be held on Aug 21 (8:30am – 4:30pm) and Aug 22 (8:30am – 2:30pm) at the Community Education Center, 4 Erie Avenue in St Marys. Class size is limited and tuition is $550 per person (lunch included both days). Click here to register.