We have started a few discussions around the web and formed a Next 7 Tools community group to explore, create, and perfect the next generation of continuous improvement tools. I have offered a few suggestions one being in the blog post, Please Join Us in Evolving The Next Seven Tools. In this post I considered The Next 7 Tools could be created from the 10 Tools discussed in the book, Designing for Growth: A Design Thinking Toolkit for Managers
Recently, I have been working on a project that has used some of the basic tenants of Training within Industry (TWI). During that time, I have extended my interest into the methodology described in the book, The 7 Kata: Toyota Kata, TWI, and Lean Training. The authors’ 7 Kata Tools:
- The Improvement Kata: Kaizen
- The Nested Job Instruction Kata: Learn to Teach
- The Coaching Kata: Teaching to Learn
- The Problem-Solving Kata: Seek to Understand Kata
- The Job Relations Kata: The Cultural Fortifier
- Job Safety Kata: The Duplex Kata
- The Job Methods Kata: Kipling’s Kata
Mike Rother’s work in the Toyota Kata: Managing People for Improvement, Adaptiveness and Superior Results lays the foundation. However, I think this work stands on its own and it uniquely blends 3 methodologies. It is important to note that the 7 Kata Toolset is more about skill acquisition than anything else. When viewing a futuristic definition for The Next 7 Tools, I find this set of “tools” arguable one of the best.
The one area that I might change in the 7 Kata is Job Safety. I think in knowledge based work Job Safety section could be better utilized by using Security in lieu of Safety. Security is a big umbrella that could incorporate the handling of data all the way to risk management. Please join us at the Next 7 Tools to discuss.
We appreciate all those members who choose to contribute to rich and meaningful conversations, and especially those who refer great prospective contributors to us as we co-create the Next Seven Tools. Please join us in evolving the Next Seven Tools. Now let’s open a discussion. Please start by introducing yourself and why you like this topic.
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