Key Points

• Hoshin Kanri’s long-term vision can be adapted to fit Agile sprints.
• Catchball communication is a natural fit for Agile’s focus on clear, transparent feedback.
• Visual tools like the X-Matrix can be simplified to align with individual teams to better maintain objective alignment.

Integration of Hoshin Kanri into an Agile workplace can seem somewhat daunting at first glance, given how disparate both approaches are. However, teams on the hunt for a hybrid approach that emphasizes strategic planning might find this combination to be just what the doctor ordered. It does take a deft hand when it comes to adapting both methodologies, as you’re working on planning vs. adaptive, iterative development cycles.

When you unlock the real synergy behind both of these methods, you’ve got something far more powerful than either of these approaches by themselves. Today, we’re looking at some of the key strategies you can put in place to make for a comprehensive inclusion of Hoshin Kanri in your Agile workplace.

Vision and Sprints

Any Hoshin Kanri implementation is going to rely on the need for breakthrough objectives, long-term goals between 3 to 5 years out, which are critical for your organization’s overall success. In Agile, this is less of a consideration, as you’re looking to navigate projects successfully while adhering to customer guidelines. However, establishing objectives can be vital for the overall success of your future sprints.

What this results in is an adaptation of the nomenclature and long-term vision of Hoshin Kanri in the confines of the Agile methodology. Each sprint should contribute to your long-term goals, but how you arrive there is going to be different from what you might expect.

Strategy and the Backlog

One of the biggest things at the heart of this hybridized approach is the compartmentalizing aspects of strategic goals into more achievable chunks. This fits right along the Agile way of doing things, as you look for smaller tasks in the comprehensive whole. Rather than looking at something like, “Increasing market share in our segment by 15% with the introduction of competitive goods,” you might focus instead on a more achievable goal like, “Launch a new software product.”

This informs your backlog of the strategic goals and serves to translate the underpinnings of Hoshin Kanri into a more Agile-digestible format. After all, you’re looking to work swiftly, rather than hewing to the more rigid structure of more conventional approaches like Six Sigma, Total Quality Management, and Lean.

Catchball for Communication

Catchball in Hoshin Kanri is a back-and-forth dialogue between management and frontline personnel. This ongoing dialogue is a valuable means of developing and refining strategic goals. This is also one where Hoshin Kanri needs minimal adaptations to fit in the Agile way of doing things. Agile is already geared towards open communication and feedback, and catchball can serve as a natural extension of those open methods of communication.

Creating Engagement in Planning

When conducting any sort of Agile planning, this is a prime opportunity to start the catchball process. Program Increment Planning is a fantastic way to start things, allowing teams to catch the ball to break down high-level plans to implement in more manageable chunks. This is an ideal time to identify dependencies and potential challenges that your team is likely to encounter.

It also creates an ideal scenario to further engage your employees. Bi-directional communication not only creates an understanding but also promotes ownership of the processes at work in your sprints. Catchball also allows teams to leverage the expertise of those closest to the work being done, providing valuable information to the managers.

The X-Matrix

The X-Matrix is a valuable tool for visually connecting strategic goals to your regular objectives and improvement priorities. It provides a single-page overview of the work being done, keeping everyone on board. Adapting this to the Agile workflow can be done in a few different ways.

High-Level Strategy, Team-Level Metrics

When operating Agile teams, you’ll want to use a more simplified version of the X-Matrix. This is done at a smaller scale, and doing a more simplified focus take on this tool allows teams to see each individual contribution. A team’s X-Matrix is going to connect its goals to broader objectives, both in the short term and long term.

The X-Matrix in this context is going to rely heavily on the metrics provided by your team. However, this helps to keep your team accountable and transparent with their future goals.

Visual Management

One final way you can work toward a hybrid approach of Hoshin Kanri and Agile is by making use of some visual management tools found in both approaches.

Hoshin Kanri Tools

The primary tool for visual management in Hoshin Kanri is the aforementioned X-Matrix. Other tools, like the use of A3 reports, a structured means of problem solving, are another solid choice.

Agile Workflow

The primary tool at your disposal in Agile is going to be the Kanban board. These can be further adapted to furnish Hoshin Kanri, with stories and tasks linked to long-term goals. These create a powerful visual link between your daily and weekly tasks and the long-term goals your organization has, making the work abundantly clear to everyone present.

Other Useful Tools and Concepts

Looking for some other tips and tricks to keep you going? You might want to see how Lean can encourage innovation across the board. Lean is best known as a fairly structured approach, but it opens up quite a few options to get outside the box.

Additionally, you might want to take a closer look at how BPR works. Business process reengineering can make the difference between a failing process and a profitable one.

Conclusion

Hoshin Kanri is a great fit for Agile, provided you take a more intimate view of how your long-term objectives align with your daily work. It might not seem like a natural fit at first glance, but they can blend particularly well for a powerful combination.