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
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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
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Dear Avinit,
This is a good decision-making, but some more things need to be followed. The opinions of people who neither agree nor disagree should also be taken into consideration. When the decision is implemented, these points should be considered to ensure a smooth execution and success.
Thanks
From India, Kanpur
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This is a good decision-making, but some more things need to be followed. The opinions of people who neither agree nor disagree should also be taken into consideration. When the decision is implemented, these points should be considered to ensure a smooth execution and success.
Thanks
From India, Kanpur
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We termed it as Policy Management. The X-matrix is used to deploy strategies from top management to manager levels. Then, the control points and checkpoints are established through X-matrix objectives deployed to middle-level management. Subsequently, the checkpoints become control points for the work associates.
To begin, the issue of last year's performance is considered and interconnected with the management vision, from which control points are derived. Budgets are then prepared for revenue and capital expenditures based on each control point and management point, ensuring that resources are appropriately planned.
I hope you find this information interesting; policy deployment is crucial for organizational success.
From India, Madras
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16To begin, the issue of last year's performance is considered and interconnected with the management vision, from which control points are derived. Budgets are then prepared for revenue and capital expenditures based on each control point and management point, ensuring that resources are appropriately planned.
I hope you find this information interesting; policy deployment is crucial for organizational success.
From India, Madras
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