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Improvement Kata
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A four-step pattern for continuous, bounded improvement.
The Four Steps
- Understand the direction. What's the long-term vision?
- Grasp the current condition. Where are you now, with data?
- Set the next target condition. A small, specific step toward the vision.
- Experiment toward the target. Run small tests, learn, adjust.
Why It Matters
- Vision without steps is wishful thinking.
- Steps without vision are random.
- The kata gives teams a rhythm: direction → current → target → experiment.
How to Apply
- Run the cycle weekly or biweekly.
- Keep the target condition small — days or weeks away, not quarters.
- Make current and target conditions visible to the team.
- Celebrate learning as much as achievement.
The Trap
Treating it as a process to follow instead of a muscle to build. The kata is repeated deliberately to develop instinct, like a martial arts form.
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