Agile Kata Pro Level 1 (AKP I) certification. AgileKata.pro.
I’ve just acquired the Agile Kata Pro Level 1 (AKP I) certification at AgileKata.pro 🙂. I’m constantly on the lookout for better ways and outcomes. Having used the Agile Kata a few times here and there during the last years, the obvious next natural stepping stone on my journey was to formalise this experience with a certification.
Agile Kata is based on Mike Rother’s Toyota Kata, which consists of both Improvement Kata (a routine for continuous improvement), and Coaching Kata (a pattern of teaching the Improvement Kata to others).
Agile Kata brings the Toyota Kata from the manufacturing world into the agile/knowledge work context. In an agile context, variability is often higher. The inherent complexity of an unclear territory requires short feedback cycles and agile leadership/coaching.
Navigating unclear territory is typically driven by Experiments (PDCA cycles). Experiments help us move the work from the Current Condition to the Next Target Condition, removing obstacles along the way. In Agile Kata, the 12 principles of the Agile Manifesto not only help us understand the Direction or Challenge, but also provide guidance on how to measure the progress of creating value.
Previously, I’ve written about agile habits, agile events, the false equivalence of Scrum vs. Kanban, business agility, distributed agile teams, and asking powerful questions—to name just a few of my interests. Agile Kata fits and complements these areas perfectly.
What I like about the Agile Kata is that it’s a proven, concrete, and scientific practice for building new, improved agile habits. Agile Kata is a much more effective way of driving continuous improvement than—for example—classroom training, workshops, value stream mapping, reorganization, incentives, or action-item lists. This is because with Agile Kata, we’re developing our capabilities, and changing our habits with repeated practice. By automating the Agile Kata routine, we can free up our brain capacity for higher level tasks.
I’m looking forward to continue learning more about this hands-on in my work with my teams! Special thanks to Rikard Skelander, Joe Krebs, One Agency Sweden AB, and Trygg-Hansa for making this happen 🙏 .