Hoshin Kanri
Hoshin Kanri is a strategic planning method that helps organizations improve their operations. Often called "Policy Deployment" or "Strategy Deployment" in English, it's a systematic way to plan and achieve important business goals. Think of it as a roadmap that connects a company's big-picture goals to everyday activities. It's similar to other planning methods like Balanced Scorecard or OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), but with a special focus on getting everyone in the company, from top leaders to front-line workers, moving in the same direction.
Examples in Resumes
Led Hoshin Kanri implementation across 3 manufacturing plants, resulting in 25% efficiency improvement
Facilitated annual Policy Deployment sessions for executive team, aligning department goals with corporate strategy
Used Strategy Deployment methodology to achieve $2M in cost savings through systematic goal alignment
Successfully implemented Hoshin Planning processes across multiple business units
Typical job title: "Continuous Improvement Managers"
Also try searching for:
Where to Find Continuous Improvement Managers
Professional Organizations
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Learning Resources
Example Interview Questions
Senior Level Questions
Q: Can you describe a successful Hoshin Kanri implementation you've led and what were the key challenges?
Expected Answer: Look for answers that show experience in managing large-scale strategic planning, handling resistance to change, and measuring concrete results. They should mention how they involved different organizational levels and maintained momentum throughout the year.
Q: How do you ensure alignment between strategic goals and daily operations?
Expected Answer: Strong answers should discuss creating clear connections between high-level objectives and department-level metrics, regular review processes, and methods for tracking progress and making adjustments when needed.
Mid Level Questions
Q: What tools do you use to track and monitor Hoshin Kanri progress?
Expected Answer: Candidates should mention practical tools like X-matrices, bowling charts, or digital tracking systems, and explain how they use these to maintain visibility of progress and identify issues early.
Q: How do you communicate strategic goals to different levels of the organization?
Expected Answer: Look for experience in translating high-level goals into actionable items for different departments, using visual management, and maintaining regular communication channels.
Junior Level Questions
Q: What is the basic process of Hoshin Kanri?
Expected Answer: Should be able to explain the basic steps: setting long-term goals, breaking them down into annual objectives, creating action plans, and regular review processes.
Q: What's the difference between a goal and a strategy in Hoshin Kanri?
Expected Answer: Should understand that goals are the desired outcomes, while strategies are the specific approaches and actions taken to achieve those goals.
Experience Level Indicators
Junior (0-2 years)
- Understanding of basic planning processes
- Ability to create and update tracking charts
- Meeting facilitation
- Basic data analysis
Mid (2-5 years)
- Implementation of goal deployment systems
- Project management
- Change management
- Performance metric development
Senior (5+ years)
- Strategic planning leadership
- Executive-level communication
- Large-scale implementation management
- Organizational transformation
Red Flags to Watch For
- No experience with strategic planning or goal deployment
- Poor understanding of change management principles
- Lack of experience in facilitating cross-functional meetings
- Unable to demonstrate measurable results from previous implementations
- No experience with performance metrics or KPIs
Related Terms
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