T
oday, I'm announcing a new podcast series called the Toyota Kata Podcast, or “KataCast” for short.
As the Toyota Kata book and methodology have become more popular, I've been surprised that I haven't been asked “why don't you blog more about Toyota Kata?”
Really, the only reference to TK has been a guest post by my friend Michael Lombard earlier this year.
I guess I haven't blogged about it because I haven't been practicing it…
I've seen Mike Rother speak and present a few times and I've always learned something. He's thoughtful, thought provoking, and does a great job of articulating how Toyota thinks and improves  – based on his time studying and researching at the company first time (read an article – a big PDF – about the research behind TK).
I haven't had the chance to really practice TK – either the “Improvement Kata” or the “Coaching Kata” routines. But, I'm interested in this… and I'm trying to learn (as much as I can learn by reading and watching or listening to material).
I've been wanting to listen to YouTube videos about Toyota Kata while out walking, but that's hard to do on an iPhone (it's possible, but it drains the battery because you have to leave the screen on or otherwise the playback stops). YouTube isn't practical for the car or on a plane and I couldn't find anything really in a podcast format.
So, I approached Mike and asked if I could repurpose material from his YouTube channel into an audio-only podcast format, to help others who are in the same situation I'm in.
Click here for my homepage for the podcast. There's information there about how to subscribe using RSS, iTunes, or other methods.
I hope this is a welcome addition and contribution to the Toyota Kata community. I'll add content over time and if you have suggestions for material to add, let me know and I'll reach out to the copyright holders for permission.
Mike gets credit for the suggestion to use a parody of the song “Whip It” that was created by Jeremiah Davis and his kids. Check out his YouTube channel and the full version of the song.
I'm not practicing Toyota Kata in my home like Jeremiah and his family… I'm behind the times, apparently.
Here's a blog post, from yesterday, about the use of Toyota Kata in healthcare, written by Mark Rosenthal.
Tyson Ortiz, along with Jeff Liker, recently wrote a fascinating article about the use of TK in figuring out the best medical treatment for his infant son.
Again, Michael Lombard has also used TK successfully in healthcare, as he discussed in this webinar. See more about his work and what he has shared.
Have you utilized TK in your organization? What are some of your experiences and lessons learned?
What do you think? Please scroll down (or click) to post a comment. Or please share the post with your thoughts on LinkedIn – and follow me or connect with me there.
Did you like this post? Make sure you don't miss a post or podcast — Subscribe to get notified about posts via email daily or weekly.
Check out my latest book, The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation:
