What is Hoshin Kanri Catchball?
Hoshin Kanri Catch ball allows you to create and maintain open feedback loops at all levels in your organization by creating a two-way flow of information.
Catchball’s original application is vertical, meaning the top management level sets goals for the business and develops a proposal. The upper level throws the ball down to the lower and waits for feedback and a tactic proposal.
It may take a few iterations to reach a consensus. Mid-level managers then pass the goals to the team leaders. The process is repeated until the “ball” reaches the people at the bottom of the hierarchy.
The goal of the final step is to have everyone who is working to achieve the goals of your company give their input and align all actions in a direction that everyone shares.
Catchball is a great tool for companies that have adopted a culture of shared leadership. Catch ball is a great fit for companies that have adopted a shared leadership culture.
Using Catchball to help employees better understand their role in the organization and to become more engaged with the most important goals is a great way to ensure that they are connected.
The Business Benefits of Catch ball
Catch ball, in the context of Lean Team Management, is a practice that can increase engagement within your team. This, on the other side, will assist you to achieve continual improvement.
This element of Hoshin Kanri can be used to evaluate new plans or ideas for your business and determine whether they are feasible.
It is possible to achieve this by having people from different areas contribute to the analysis. The “kitchen-sink” approach will allow them to make practical suggestions and be more motivated to implement the plan.
How do you start playing catchball?
If you want to include Hoshin Kanri Catch ball in your arsenal of Lean management tools, you will need to adhere to a few universal rules.
You need to first understand that Catchball is a game that should be played by everyone who can help you improve. You need to ensure that all people have the chance to hold the ball as a leader.
You should give the person enough time to review the plan, provide feedback, and collect data before you pass the ball on to the next team member or return it to yourself.
You should also make sure everyone understands that you’re all on the same side and that any suggestions, no matter how small, are welcome.
When holding the ball, one must accept responsibility for their own ideas and suggestions, and ensure that they are implemented if the team agrees.
If you don’t create a safe environment where process ownership can flourish, this could be the most challenging aspect of the Catchball Process.
A person who does not want to be responsible for a failed proposition or is unwilling to take the blame will simply dodge the ball rather than catch it.
When deciding how to implement the Catchball Process in your Lean management efforts you will need to determine the best frame to pass the ball within your organization.
