Home of the
KATA DOJO
“As a coach, if I’m in the room and I get out of this room with my team, and the ability of my team did not increase, I did not do my job properly.”
— Malik Sisic, Head of Purchasing & Vice CEO, Volkswagen Sarajevo
THE ALTERNATIVE
PILOTS TRAIN IN SIMULATORS. WHERE DO YOU?
Most coaching programs give you knowledge. This one gives you reps. Every week you practice small coaching moves in short drills with peers and a mentor. Then you try them at work and bring back what you notice.
Practice first. Content second.
“Just do it, because there are very few places you’ll have to do repetitive practice, do drills in your normal work a day stuff.”
— Hugh Alley, Principal, Operations Excellence, and author of Becoming the Supervisor
YOUR GUIDES
TRACY, JULIE & TILO
We don’t teach from a stage. We train in the same rhythm you do, and we learn from every cohort.
TRACY DEFOE
Practice mentor. Co-founder of Kata School Cascadia.
JULIE SAVAGE-FOURNIER
Mentor. Co-founder of Kata School Francophonie. Trains in English and French.
TILO SCHWARZ
Founder of the Kata Coaching Dojo. Former plant manager.
“… it didn’t feel like you were hammering me or pressuring, it felt like you were on the journey with me.”
— Kelly Mallery, Site Continuous Improvement Leader, Viant Medical
THE DOJO ALUMNI
REAL PEOPLE. REAL REPS.
10
cohorts
160+
alumni
15+
nationalities
COHORT 1 GRADUATE
COHORT 5 GRADUATE
COHORT 3 GRADUATE
COHORT 3 GRADUATE
MALIK SISIC
Head of Purchasing & Vice CEO, Volkswagen Sarajevo
SYLVAIN LANDRY
Director, Department of Logistics and Operations Management, HEC Montréal
RAAGHAVAN VENKATRAM
Continuous Improvement Manager, Norton McMurray Manufacturing
KELLY MALLERY
Site Continuous Improvement Leader, Viant Medical
“The Kata Dojo Masterclass was a life-changing experience as a coach for me. Friday is Kata Dojo day at Volkswagen Sarajevo.”
“I haven’t been this mentally challenged since my Ph.D. 30 years ago.”
“I thought I was doing it perfectly. … Then I realized I actually did have a problem.”
“… I have these in my back pocket so that I can be more focused on really listening and observing the other person’s thinking.”
COHORT 9 GRADUATE
COHORT 2 GRADUATE
COHORT 9 GRADUATE
COHORT 6 GRADUATE
PAT MORRISSEY
Senior CI Leader, SRAM
ANDREA LEE
Vice President Operations, Norton McMurray Manufacturing
JAKE MENARD
Norton McMurray Manufacturing
PRIYA OSCAR
Executive Lean Leader, GE Aerospace
“… habits and the micro skills through the process of the class start to rewire the brain.”
“… they came into the Dojo, they caught up to us in, like, four or five months.”
“… I was really quick beforehand to jump into the teaching instead of coaching.”
“… don’t think that you have to go to the dojo because you’re a bad coach. Think you have to go because you can become an even better one.”
“Being comfortable with saying I don’t know yet, that was my biggest gain.”
— Bekah Dempsey, Senior Business Process Analyst Team Lead, Jack Henry & Associates
THE DETAILS
EIGHT WEEKS.
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS.
Need to get it approved? Take the one-page summary to your manager or HR.
HOW THE DOJO WORKS
ONE SITUATION. SEVERAL ROUNDS.
One person plays the learner in a scripted situation. The coach tries an approach, gets short feedback, and goes again. Same situation, several rounds, each one a little better.
WHAT GETS BETTER
01
STRUCTURE
The five phases of the Coaching Kata.
02
LISTENING
Hearing the answer, observing more precisely.
03
REFERENCE
Knowing what a good answer looks like.
04
DEEPENING QUESTIONS
Helping people reflect and adjust for themselves.
“I learned what to listen for myself as well. And if you cannot do that, you can’t teach others either.”
— Elske Heeren, Kata Coach and Trainer, metHeeren
WEEK BY WEEK
YOUR JOURNEY
Two live sessions a week: a 90-minute main session with everyone, and a 60-minute deep dive in a practice group of four with a mentor. Live sessions at 11:00 US Eastern / 17:00 CET [to confirm for March 2027]. Missed one? The recording is in the course afterwards.
W1
WORKSHOP
Coaching Kata Fundamentals
Session 1
you start here
W2
Session 2
W3
WORKSHOP
Alumni workshop
Session 3
W4
Session 4
—
Study & practice break
breathe
W5
WORKSHOP
Facilitation workshop 1
Session 5
W6
Session 6
W7
WORKSHOP
Facilitation workshop 2
Session 7
W8
Session 8
+6
About six weeks later
Graduation
wings
TWO PATHS
COACH. OR COACH THE COACHES.
TRACK 1
3 WORKSHOPS
COACHING
For you if you coach people every day, as a manager, team lead or coach.
CERTIFICATE
Kata Dojo Masterclass Certificate
TRACK 2
4 WORKSHOPS
COACHING & FACILITATION
For you if you also develop other coaches, as an internal coach, Lean or CI lead, or consultant. You finish by running your first two Dojo sessions.
CERTIFICATE
Dojo Facilitator Certificate
New to Toyota Kata? Many people in each cohort are.
COHORT XI · MARCH 2027
CHOOSE YOUR ACCESS
FULL MASTERCLASS
ONE COHORT
€2,900
plus VAT if applicable
— The full eight weeks, either track
— Weekly practice and mentoring group
— Handbook, online Dojo sandbox and Starter Kit
— Access to the online learning portal
Upgrade to lifetime access later for €2,000.
LIFETIME ACCESS
EVERY FUTURE COHORT
€3,900
plus VAT if applicable
— Everything in the Full Masterclass
— Join future cohorts again, for life
— Lifetime access to the portal
— Future updates to the class content
Come back as often as you like and keep training.
Money-back guarantee. Take part, do the work, and if it still wasn’t valuable for you, you get a full refund within 30 days of the start date.
Monthly payment plans available. Group rates from three people.
QUESTIONS
BEFORE YOU APPLY
Do I need to know Toyota Kata already?
No. Many people in each cohort are new to it. You learn the Coaching Kata step by step, as the model we practice with.
Why do I need to apply?
Cohorts are small, and we want the Masterclass to fit what you need right now. Not sure? Write to us and we’ll set up a short Zoom call.
How much time does it take?
Two live sessions a week: a 90-minute main session with everyone, and a 60-minute deep dive in a practice group of four with a mentor. On top of that, three or four workshops, depending on your track.
Can I join in French?
[EN / FR for March 2027 to confirm.] See the Masterclass Français page.
Can I pay monthly, or join with colleagues?
Yes. Monthly payment plans are available, and group rates start at three people.
What if it isn’t for me?
Attend the live sessions and facilitation workshops, complete the deliverables, and if it still wasn’t valuable for you, you get a full refund within 30 days of the start date.