Build an X-matrix that links breakthrough objectives to annual objectives, targets and owners.
Quality & Productivity
Hoshin Kanri Policy Deployment and Strategy Catchball Workshops
Translate strategic breakthrough objectives into aligned annual targets using Hoshin Kanri X-matrices and catchball dialogue, and track progress with bowling charts through structured PDCA reviews.
🗓️Duration5 training days
📚Content4 modules · 8 sessions
🎓On completionAccredited attendance certificate
About the programme
Course Overview
Hoshin Kanri policy deployment closes the gap between a three to five year breakthrough objective set in the boardroom and the daily work of a production cell, a claims team or a hospital ward, using a disciplined sequence of matrices and dialogue rather than a cascade of memos. This course walks participants through building the X-matrix that links long-term breakthrough objectives to annual objectives, improvement priorities, target metrics and the people accountable for each, and then through the catchball process where proposed targets are negotiated up and down the organisation until capacity and ambition are realistic on both sides. Sessions cover facilitating a catchball workshop without letting it collapse into either rubber-stamping or endless negotiation, setting stretch targets that are ambitious without being disconnected from resourcing, and building bowling charts that make the gap between plan and actual visible at a glance. The final modules address sustaining the annual cycle: monthly and quarterly PDCA reviews, executive gemba review, and reconciling Hoshin priorities with day-to-day management when the two compete for the same resources. Participants leave with a draft X-matrix and a catchball workshop plan ready to run with their own leadership team.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Facilitate catchball dialogue that negotiates realistic targets between strategic and operational levels.
Set stretch targets that balance ambition against genuine capacity and resource constraints.
Design bowling charts that display the gap between planned and actual monthly performance.
Run monthly and quarterly PDCA reviews that keep Hoshin priorities on track through the year.
Resolve conflicts between Hoshin breakthrough priorities and routine daily management demands.
Cascade policy deployment targets to cross-functional teams without losing line of sight to strategy.
Who Should Attend
Strategy and planning leaders responsible for translating annual objectives into execution.
Operations directors and plant managers who own breakthrough objectives on the X-matrix.
Continuous improvement leaders facilitating catchball workshops across departments.
Business unit heads negotiating targets and resource commitments during policy deployment.
Programme management office staff tracking Hoshin priorities alongside project portfolios.
Executives sponsoring a first or renewed Hoshin Kanri deployment cycle for their organisation.
Course Modules
Select any module to see its sessions and points.
01Building the X-matrix and setting breakthrough objectives
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Defining breakthrough objectives and long-term direction
- Distil a three to five year vision into two or three breakthrough objectives worth pursuing.
- Test breakthrough objectives against current performance gaps and competitive pressure.
- Translate breakthrough objectives into annual objectives that are specific and measurable.
- Select the target metrics and improvement priorities that will populate the X-matrix.
Session 2Constructing the X-matrix and assigning ownership
- Populate an X-matrix linking breakthrough objectives, annual objectives, targets and owners.
- Assign primary and supporting responsibility using the correlation symbols on the matrix.
- Check the X-matrix for gaps where a target has no clear owner or resourcing commitment.
- Validate the draft X-matrix with functional leaders before it enters catchball dialogue.
02Running the strategy catchball process
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Facilitating catchball dialogue across levels
- Present proposed targets downward and invite counter-proposals grounded in local capacity.
- Facilitate negotiation rounds that surface resourcing conflicts before they become commitments.
- Recognise when catchball has collapsed into rubber-stamping and reopen the dialogue.
- Document agreed targets, assumptions and resourcing commitments after each catchball round.
Session 2Setting realistic stretch targets
- Distinguish a stretch target that drives innovation from one that is simply unattainable.
- Reconcile top-down ambition with bottom-up capacity data during target negotiation.
- Sequence target reviews so dependent teams agree compatible commitments in the right order.
- Finalise the annual X-matrix once catchball negotiation converges on shared targets.
03Tracking progress with bowling charts and PDCA reviews
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Designing and maintaining bowling charts
- Build a bowling chart format that displays plan, actual and gap for each monthly target.
- Colour-code bowling chart entries to flag targets falling behind before they become critical.
- Update bowling charts on a fixed monthly cadence tied to the PDCA review calendar.
- Use bowling chart trends to decide where countermeasures need executive attention.
Session 2Running monthly and quarterly PDCA reviews
- Structure a monthly review that checks plan against actual and assigns countermeasures.
- Run a quarterly deep-dive review that reassesses annual objectives against the environment.
- Prepare and present an executive-level diagnosis review to senior leadership.
- Capture lessons from each PDCA cycle to improve the next year's deployment process.
04Sustaining policy deployment across the organisation
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Cascading targets to cross-functional teams
- Cascade X-matrix priorities into departmental and team-level action plans with named owners.
- Align cross-functional teams whose targets depend on shared resources or sequencing.
- Communicate the line of sight from daily tasks back to breakthrough objectives to frontline staff.
- Audit team-level plans periodically to confirm they still trace back to the X-matrix.
Session 2Reconciling Hoshin priorities with daily management
- Separate Hoshin breakthrough work from routine daily management on team task boards.
- Protect resourcing for breakthrough priorities when daily operational demands compete for time.
- Review the prior year's deployment cycle to identify process improvements for next year.
- Institutionalise the annual Hoshin calendar so policy deployment becomes a repeatable rhythm.
What the participant receives
4 course modules
A structured syllabus
8 training sessions
across 5 days
32 detailed points
Applied, detailed content
Accredited attendance certificate
On completing the programme
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