Organizational Kata

Imagine for a moment that you want to become a musician. How does one become a great musician? Knowing music theory and understanding the instrument's mechanics are the foundations, but true excellence comes from constant practice. In music, talent is necessary, but dedicating hours and hours to practice and exercise is essential for success. Moreover, having a competent mentor to support practice sessions can accelerate learning and improvement through targeted feedback.

Extending this example to other areas, such as sports, we encounter "organizational katas": practical opportunities to learn organizational behaviors.

An organizational kata is a practice session in which participants address imaginary organizational situations and, with everyone's contribution, try to understand the best way to manage them.

The essential elements for effectively conducting an organizational kata are:

• Do not be afraid to make mistakes, as the situation is imaginary.
• Do not rush to conclude the kata.
• Avoid interruptions, if possible.
• Proceed one step at a time as if making small iterations.
• Repeat the exercise over and over, ensuring that there is an improvement in performance with each repetition.
• There is no single way to handle a kata exercise but multiple possible approaches.
• The goal of each kata is not to reach the "best" solution. The focus is on the journey, not the destination, on what is learned at each iteration. The aim is the practice itself, not the final solution.