Kata School Cascadia
If you are looking for a community to learn and practice the Improvement Kata and Coaching Kata to achieve great things, welcome home!
Looking for learning? Scroll down!
Learn
We are a group of kata coaches and learners, and we are here to share.
If you want to learn, attend a Toyota Kata introduction or find ways to practice, we can help.
Visit our learning resource Mural here
Love the I Don't Know Yeti? See below!
Got your own I Don't Know Yeti and need buttons? Email info@kata-school-cascadia.org for buttons.
We have a store for KSC logo merchandise at cost in Canadian dollars.
Looking for our Kata School Cascadia earring collection. Find them here.
Join our Kata Community
Our Kata School is founded by coaches with many years experience.
Since the Kata Coaches Dojo World Tour in 2019, we have met Friday lunchtimes on Zoom to talk about all things Coaching Kata.
In 2021 we added a group for Starter Kata learners. Want to join the conversaton? Contact us.
Kata Together 2024! Our Summer Kata Together week at Kass Tailored in Mukilteo WA USA is July 15-19 2024!
Register now on Ticket Tailor
We will be tring new exercises and exploring new areas together. Let's make it the best ever!
Scientific Thinking
The Coaching Kata and Improvement Kata are patterns of action and thought that build a metaskill habit of scientific thinking.
The benefits? You, your team, family, orgainzation, or region will develop and mobilize creative capabilities, confidence and the ability to handle tough challenges.
Our Videos
Mark Rosenthal's What is Kata? presentation was recorded for you. Watch it and send in comments.
We have a Youtube Channel.
https://www.youtube.com/@KataSchoolCascadia
Follow us for recorded sessions and more.
For example, our "4 years of Friday zooms" celebration with Tracy Defoe, Mark Rosenthal, Altung Bingin Altintas, Gemma Jones and William Harvey. Watch it here.
I Don't Know Yeti is our Kata School Cascadia mascot!
More about Kata Schools
Learn more about Kata School world wide and see the map at kata-school.org
We are about sharing and learning together. Read the Kata School Manifesto to understand what Kata Schools are all about.
Learning and Sharing Together
Connect with our Kata Community
Whether you are learning with an organization or getting started on your own, being part of a community is great! Being part of a generous community of people at all levels of experience in skill means you will have a peer group, and mentor to help you in your learning.
We aim to be a go-to place for resources, advice and training. We match coaches with learners, and the curious with information and stories.
Many of our coaches including Tracy Defoe, Maria Gzanka, Gemma Jones, Jennifer Ayers are active coaches in Kata Girl Geeks. The KGG is an online community where women support women in learning the Starter Kata.
Email Gemma@katagirlgeeks.com for more info on this growing community.
Come learn with us!
Drop in zoom community calls for Starter Kata and for experienced coaches are 30 minutes each, every Friday over the noon hour, Pacific time. Get in touch for the registration links to our free Kata School Cascadia community zooms.
Email info@kata-school-cascadia.org
Upcoming Training and Events
Infusing Change and Toyota Kata in the Organization with Mark Rosenthal
So many people ask about ways to introduce and spread change - or kata. This free live event was recorded! Check back for news that the recording is available.
What is Kata? with Gemma Jones
Get tickets here by donation
This presentation is about:
- Why Scientific Thinking is important
- Why practice routines are useful
- Where the concept of Toyota Kata came from
- The steps of the Improvement Kata
- The Coaching Kata
Lean Frontier's KataCon10 is April 8-10 in Indianapolis Indiana. Several KSC folks will be there! USA. https://leanfrontiers.com/katacon10/agenda/
May 2024
Improvement Kata Boot Camp with Gemma Jones
Improvement Kata BOOT CAMP: Registration info and tickets here!
Friday May 3- Friday May 17th
This is an intense workshop, held on Zoom and spread across 11 consecutive working days. Participants dive deep and practice each of the steps of the Improvement Kata, working towards a personal challenge.
Whether you are a new learner looking for a great intro to kata practice, or a coach looking for a reset on the Improvement Kata, IKBC is for you.
July 2024
Kata Together 2024: Kata School Cascadia's Summer Camp is July 15-19th.
This in-person live week of learning is unlike any other kata community gathering. We emphasize practicing together and trying out new ideas and variations. This is the only kata event this year where Mark Rosenthal, Gemma Jones, Tilo Schwarz and Tracy Defoe will learn with you, hosted by Kaas Tailored in Mukilteo WA USA. You can register now while tickets last! Program on the ticket website.
Our Kata Together summer learning event isn't free, but it is the best value for dollar of any kata learning around! If you have financial barriers to attending, please reach out. We aim to be inclusive. We have promo codes for those paying their own way, for those with financial hardship and for our volunteers.
October 19 2024
Save-The-Date! Friday October 19th is our 5th anniversary and we will do something special to mark our birthday.
What actually happened? Kata Together 2023
Our in-person learning event, KATA TOGETHER at Kaas Tailored in Mukilteo WA USA happened June 19 to 23rd 2023. This photo was taken on Friday, and the people who joined only for Improvement Kata Boot Camp LIVE are missing. Sorry about that, Joi, Pam, Ken and Milton.
It was an amazing week of learning and sharing in community. What did we do?
- We went back to basics with the Improvement Kata Boot Camp LIVE.
- We tackled the Immersive Team Challenge like never before with coaching through both planning and executing phases.
- We practiced and drilled in the Kata Coaching Dojo, twice!
- We celebrated the publication of Giving Wings to Her Team, a novel about learning to coach the Toyota Kata way with authors Tilo Schwarz and Jeff Liker.
- We looked to the future, what happens back at work?
- We had fun together right through meal times and evenings!
Some comments among the hundreds:
"What a week! Going back to basics so intensively was a first for me, and I enjoyed every minute of it." Coach Phillipe Deslandres
We had top kata coaches with us for the week. A comment from a newcomer:
“I feel like if you went to basketball camp and LeBron James and Michael Jordon are doing the drills with you.
And then they tell you to be in touch if you have questions later!"
There will be many more photos and reflections shared. Check us out on LinkedIn.
Take the Clicker Challenge!
We are working on a new Starter Kata for scientific thinking. We want you to try it for a week.
Click the instructions below. Get a clicker and try this routine. Check out the website for this routine.
What do you expect? What actually happened? How did you feel?
Please share your experence and feedback with us https://tinyurl.com/ClickerKata
Message us on social media #ClickerChallenge. Pass it on, challenge your friends!
Let's Talk About Your Learning
Get started now on the Toyota Kata website
Toyota Kata author Mike Rother's Toyota Kata website with links to youtube, slideshare and more.
Kata School Cascadia coaches from Washington, USA Oregon, USA and British Columbia, Canada on the web.
Julie Simmons (Retired)
