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 US store!
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 2025! Our Summer Kata Together week at Kass Tailored in Mukilteo WA USA is July 14-18 2025!
Save-Me-A-Spot list tickets here. Join the list to get first chance to register and be included in the program decisions. 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.
Kata Together 2024, July 15-19th.
What actually happened?
Our in-person learning event, KATA TOGETHER at Kaas Tailored in Mukilteo WA USA was July 15th to 19th 2024.
What did we plan as our steps, and what did we expect?
Coaches Tracy Defoe, Mark Rosenthal, Gemma Jones, Maria Grzanka and Tilo Schwarz planned a week of new experiences, and a wide range of kata practice for everyone.
- We planned to refresh or build kata references and skills all week.
- We planned a range of experiences from kata basics to coaching microskills. Like what?
- recognizing the Threshold of Knowledge
- reflecting on our own mindset on Monday vs Friday
- resetting or refreshing our Improvement Kata / Coaching Kata foundations
- grasping the current condition of a moving, live process together
- observing and drawing block diagrams of live processes in Kaas Tailored
- practicing our coaching microskills in the Kata Coaching Dojo
- considering the role and microskills of the 2nd coach
- using the framework of the Coaching Kata questions away from the storyboard, in meetings and conversations.
- We had more 'in motion' activities than ever before!
- Working on really reflecting and getting deeper? We had a plan for that, too.
- What's next? We had a spot on Friday for your next steps, to send you home with a challenge and a plan.
- Kata Together was a friendly learning event with a Welcome Reception, bonfire at Mukilteo beach and breakfasts and lunches together.
Save-Me-A-Spot registration open now for 2025!
Register here for 2025, we will save a spot for you. You will have first chance to register for Kata Together 2025, July 14-18 in Mukilteo WA USA, hosted again by Kaas Tailored. Take your kata practice, and your kata community to a new level of awesome!
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
Training and Events
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
Gemma presents an Intro to Kata every month.
Improvement Kata Boot Camp with Gemma Jones
Improvement Kata BOOT CAMP postponed! Interested? email info@kata-school-cascadia.org
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.
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.
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 on the web.
Julie Simmons (Retired)
