Dear All,
The cricket season is on and that reminds me of a catchball technique used by Toyota & other Japanese manufacturers in strategic planning & deployment.
Japanese use a word HOSHIN to describe strategy. In order to convert the organizational vision into an implementable strategy (Hoshin), they use a catchball technique. This technique ensures that everyone in an organization understands what is to be done for achieving the organizational vision and he or she is ready to provide the required support for the same.
The technique goes something like this:
1. The top management develops a vision of what the organization needs to achieve. They ‘toss’ this vision to the senior managers.
2. The senior managers ‘catch’ the vision and translate into hoshins (Strategies). Then they toss them back to the top management, and ask, in effect, “Is this what you mean? Will these activities achieve our vision?”
3. The top management provides feedback and guidance to senior managers. The hoshins can be passed back & forth several times.
4. Eventually a consensus is reached. Top management & senior managers agree that, “These are the hoshins our company will use to achieve our vision”.
5. Senior managers now toss their hoshins to middle managers, who catch them and translate them into activities. These in turn are tossed back to senior managers who provide feedback and guidance. Eventually, a consensus is reached. Senior & middle managers agree that, “These are the activities we will use to achieve the senior manager’s hoshins, which in turn will achieve our company vision.”
6. Middle managers will in turn toss their objectives to their juniors down the line. The process culminates with the performance objectives of individual team members.
An important aspect of this exercise is to achieve consensus at each level of catching the ball. Consensus building does not always mean that I must give up my ideas or beliefs. Nor does it mean that we must all agree before a hoshin is implemented. At times, we may agree to disagree. But consensus DOES mean that I will support the decision of the group.
I welcome your comments on this technique and sharing of any of your experiences when you might have used this method.
-Avinit Singh
From India, Amritsar
The cricket season is on and that reminds me of a catchball technique used by Toyota & other Japanese manufacturers in strategic planning & deployment.
Japanese use a word HOSHIN to describe strategy. In order to convert the organizational vision into an implementable strategy (Hoshin), they use a catchball technique. This technique ensures that everyone in an organization understands what is to be done for achieving the organizational vision and he or she is ready to provide the required support for the same.
The technique goes something like this:
1. The top management develops a vision of what the organization needs to achieve. They ‘toss’ this vision to the senior managers.
2. The senior managers ‘catch’ the vision and translate into hoshins (Strategies). Then they toss them back to the top management, and ask, in effect, “Is this what you mean? Will these activities achieve our vision?”
3. The top management provides feedback and guidance to senior managers. The hoshins can be passed back & forth several times.
4. Eventually a consensus is reached. Top management & senior managers agree that, “These are the hoshins our company will use to achieve our vision”.
5. Senior managers now toss their hoshins to middle managers, who catch them and translate them into activities. These in turn are tossed back to senior managers who provide feedback and guidance. Eventually, a consensus is reached. Senior & middle managers agree that, “These are the activities we will use to achieve the senior manager’s hoshins, which in turn will achieve our company vision.”
6. Middle managers will in turn toss their objectives to their juniors down the line. The process culminates with the performance objectives of individual team members.
An important aspect of this exercise is to achieve consensus at each level of catching the ball. Consensus building does not always mean that I must give up my ideas or beliefs. Nor does it mean that we must all agree before a hoshin is implemented. At times, we may agree to disagree. But consensus DOES mean that I will support the decision of the group.
I welcome your comments on this technique and sharing of any of your experiences when you might have used this method.
-Avinit Singh
From India, Amritsar
Dear Avinit,
This is a good decision making but some more things are to be followed. The people who do not agree or disagree their points are also to be kept in consideration. When the decision is being put in action the points are also be looked into so that the decision is being moved on smooth platform and success.
Thanks
From India, Kanpur
This is a good decision making but some more things are to be followed. The people who do not agree or disagree their points are also to be kept in consideration. When the decision is being put in action the points are also be looked into so that the decision is being moved on smooth platform and success.
Thanks
From India, Kanpur
We termed it as Policy management
X- matrix is used to deploy Stategics from Top management to Manager levels
then the control points and check points through X_matric objectives deployed to middle level
then the check points become control points for the work associates
to start with initially the Issue of last year performance is taken and interrelated to that of Management vision and control points are derived
With every control points and the managing points budget prepared for Revenue and Capex, thus resource planned
hope this might be interesting,, the policy deployment is a real good one for organisation success
From India, Madras
14X- matrix is used to deploy Stategics from Top management to Manager levels
then the control points and check points through X_matric objectives deployed to middle level
then the check points become control points for the work associates
to start with initially the Issue of last year performance is taken and interrelated to that of Management vision and control points are derived
With every control points and the managing points budget prepared for Revenue and Capex, thus resource planned
hope this might be interesting,, the policy deployment is a real good one for organisation success
From India, Madras
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