Table of Contents

Introduction - Transforming our Understanding of Leadership and Management

PART I: THE SITUATION

Chapter 1: What Defines a Company that Thrives Long Term?

PART II: KNOW YOURSELF

Chapter 2: How Are We Approaching Process Improvement?

Chapter 3: Philosophy and Direction

Chapter 4: Origin and Effects of Our Current Management Approach

PART III: THE IMPROVEMENT KATA: HOW TOYOTA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVES

Chapter 5: Planning: Establishing a Target Condition

Chapter 6: Problem Solving and Adapting: Moving Toward a Target Condition

PART IV: THE COACHING KATA: HOW TOYOTA TEACHES THE IMPROVEMENT KATA

Chapter 7: Who Carries Out Process Improvement at Toyota?

Chapter 8: The Coaching Kata - Leaders as Teachers

PART V: REPLICATION: WHAT ABOUT OTHER COMPANIES?

Chapter 9: Developing Improvement Kata Behavior in Your Organization

Conclusion

Bibliography

Appendix 1: Where Do You Start With the Improvement Kata?

Appendix 2: How to Analyze a Production Process

About the Author

Mike Rother is an engineer, a teacher, and a guest researcher at the Technical University Dortmund. Rother’s work has bought him to numerous companies and hundreds of factories around the world, where he collaborates with people to test ideas and shares lessons learned. He splits his time between Ann Arbor, and Cologne, Germany. Rother has been entered into the Association of Manufacturing Excellence's Hall of Fame.