Koala Coaching Method
Based on Toyota Kata, I’ve created a simple but effective framework for self-improvement. Toyota Kata emphasises developing scientific thinking and a routine of continuous improvement, which we will adapt to navigate your personal and professional development.
Our work will follow a cyclical process of understanding your aspirations, analysing your current reality, setting clear, achievable next steps, and experimenting your way forward. I will guide you through reflection and learning at each stage.
Here’s the 3-step process:
Step 1: Charting Your Course & Understanding Your Starting Point
In this initial and foundational step, we will establish a clear picture of your goals and honestly assess your current situation.
Understanding Your Direction/Challenge: We will work together to articulate your long-term vision and define your life and business’s overarching challenge or desired future state. This isn’t about having all the answers now, but rather setting a compelling direction that provides focus and motivation. What does success truly look like and feel like for you? What are the big goals you want to achieve?
Grasping Your Current Condition: We will then take a clear and objective look at your present situation. I’ll learn about your current habits, skills, resources, and any existing patterns that may be helping or hindering your progress. We’ll use open and honest dialogue to explore your current reality without judgment, focusing on facts and observed behaviours. Where are you now in relation to your desired direction? What are your current strengths and areas for development?
Step 2: Defining Your Next Milestone & Identifying Obstacles
With a clear direction and understanding of your current state, we’ll focus on defining a specific, measurable, and time-bound next milestone and anticipating potential roadblocks.
Establishing Your Next Target Condition: Based on your overall direction, we will define a concrete “Target Condition” - a clear, desired outcome or state that is a significant step towards your larger challenge, achievable within a specified timeframe (e.g., in the next few weeks or months). This target condition should be beyond your current capability, requiring learning and effort. What specific outcome are we aiming for, and when are we aiming for it? How will we know you’ve reached this milestone?
Identifying Obstacles: We will explore the potential obstacles or challenges that might prevent you from reaching this next target condition. These could be internal (e.g., limiting beliefs, habits, fears) or external (e.g., lack of resources, market conditions). We’ll identify the key obstacle that would most impact moving you towards your target condition. What challenges do you anticipate facing? Which one is the most critical to address first?
Step 3: Experimenting, Learning, and Adapting
This is the action-oriented step where you will iteratively work towards your Target Condition through a series of small, focused experiments, guided by my coaching. This step embodies the core of the Improvement Kata and the supportive structure of the Coaching Kata.
Designing and Running Experiments: Based on the key obstacle identified in Step 2, we will create small, safe-to-fail experiments to test assumptions and learn what works and what doesn’t. Each experiment will have a clear hypothesis: If I try [this action], I expect [this outcome]. You will carry out these experiments in your daily life and work. What is the smallest step you can take right now to address the key obstacle? What do you expect to learn from taking this step?
Reflecting and Learning: We will have regular coaching cycles to review the results of your experiments. We’ll analyse what happened, compare it to your expectations, and most importantly, identify what you learned. This reflection is crucial for adapting your approach and informing your next steps. What did you set out to do? What happened? What did you learn from this experiment? Based on what you learned, what is your very next step? When can we check in again to see what you learned from that?
Adapting Our Approach: Based on the learning from each experiment, we will adjust our plan and design the next small experiment. This iterative process of Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) is central to continuous improvement and allows you to navigate uncertainty and find the most effective path forward.
To learn more → www.marcoferra.com