Basics of 'KATA'​ Improvement model

Strive for continuous improvement, instead of perfection.
– Kim Collins

What does the word  ‘KATA’  means?

‘KATA’ is a Japanese term that means ‘form’ and is commonly used in reference to martial arts. It is patterns of movements or techniques that can be practised alone or in a group. Practising the kata consistently builds the strategies into muscle memory.

It creates a pattern where the attainer has to focus on continuous improvement.

What does Improvement KATA mean in layman's language? 

I have read somewhere repetition is the mother of all skills. If you ever want to excel at something make sure you are doing it over and over again. What if you also get improved with every next attempt time, it is highly possible you would be very efficient at what you do. Also, it becomes your habit and you eventually find a way to improve yourself even at a peak. essentially improvement kata model suggests that you should continue to improve yourself.

How does ‘KATA’ come into the software engineering world?

The term “kata” in regard to software craftsmanship has been coined for the first time by Dave Thomas who was one of the founding fathers of agile. This continual improvement process has also been adopted by Toyota production systems. A management book was written by Mike Rother.‘Toyota Kata’ explains the principle of Toyota’s success through leaders and managers deliberately practising a routine. It had been termed as ‘coaching kata’.

Stages of Improvement KATA model:

1. Understand the direction or challenges.

2. Grasp the current conditions.

3. Define the next target condition.

4. Move toward the target condition through iterations.

The first three steps are considered the planning phase -- laying out what an organization knows, where it wants to be and what the following target condition needs to be to help get it there.

The fourth step is essential for execution when you work on the predecided things and make them happen.

How does improvement KATA works?

You decide on what are the project goals that we aspire to achieve. That will bring the direction of change that needs to be in place. 

Later you have to look around and see what are the resources you have currently to achieve these goals. You might be having certain workflows or tools that are being used or it can also be the technical knowledge or skill level of your team as that is the most prominent resource you could have in software product delivery. 

Once you have a clear understanding of current systems and processes, identify the next target condition, or where you want to be after your next iteration. The next target should be a single, tangible change that can be achieved in a matter of a decided period of time, most important is realistic and should be the step that gets you close to the target decided. 

Once you know what is the next step, it becomes the experiment play but that has to be time-bound and with the adoption of the experiment or results you are getting, you should learn, this essentially gives you the freedom to fail and learn. 

Once something works fine then make it cutting edge like refactoring the code, making it easy to read to all other team members enabling maximum code to converge while running unit test cases, and making it go through all other testing processes. having good documentation of the new features if needed.

Benefits of ‘Improvement KATA model :

1. Empower team members to share the same vision, since it is very clear what needs to be achieved as a team, they tend to collaborate more for accomplishing the target.

2. When you are totally unaware of the end result, you try to experiment which is highly appreciated when it comes to the adoption of experimenting, with obviously makes you lead to what to do or what not to do.

3. Since this is a continuous process of improvement, it also helps in reducing the waste of work in terms of energy, and time and makes the team focused on the target they have decided on collectively.

4. Overall it improves the productivity of the team, makes learning and improvement a habit of everyone and targets alignment provided belongingness.

Life lessons from Improvement Kata Model:

1. Don’t just make bigger goals, try to divide them into small achievable targets

2. Focus on your next immediate target only when you are working on it.

3. Keep track of action whether it is getting you close to the target or distracting from it.

4. Action is the key, Some experiments might fail, some might succeed but adoption of experimentation is what keeps you acting. 

5. Feel free to fail but learn from your failure.

6. There is no such thing as ‘perfection’, you can attain excellence by trying it over and over and improving yourself. Be a learner.

7. When you share a vision, you tend to collaborate more naturally

8. Focus on the resources you have instead of what you do not have

What do you think of the Kata Improvement model?

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till then...

Happy Reading..!

Thank you

Aniket Kulkarni