KATA COACHING

WHAT IS KATA?

Kata is an improvement and teaching method, designed to help us learn how to think and behave in a scientific way, so that we can make change and achieve challenging goals.

Kata Coaching is, I believe, the best way to teach someone how to think and behave in a more effective way - with curiosity, logic, and without being swayed by our assumptions and biases. We call this 'Scientific Thinking'. You don't need to be a scientist to think scientifically - in fact I strongly believe ANYONE can learn these skills.

By practicing the Kata routines, and developing new constructive habits, we can learn how to approach challenging situations more effectively; how to solve problems more successfully; and how to overcome obstacles more efficiently.

To learn more about Kata you might like to read the following articles:

When learning a new skill and developing new habits, short and frequent practice is best. In Kata Coaching, 30 minute coaching cycles each working day for 6-8 weeks is recommended.

I also offer Second Coaching - where I observe and support a Kata Coach to develop and strengthen their coaching skills.

For more information on Kata Coaching and Second Coaching, please contact me.

I am a seasoned, experienced Kata Coach and Second Coach.

In 2020 I co-founded the global group for Women learning about Scientific Thinking and Kata - the Kata Girl Geeks.

To find out more about Kata Girl Geeks

Click Here

KATA COACHING IS IDEAL FOR YOU IF:

You want to learn to think and behave in a more logical, effective way

You want to learn how to coach others to be more effective

You struggle with resistance, imposter syndrome

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

“Gemma’s deep understanding and experience of the Improvement Kata and Coaching Kata make her a sought after coach and instructor. She skilfully teaches all aspects of Kata in a way that is understandable for all levels. As a Kata Coach, Gemma guides her Learners through the Improvement Kata ensuring they are building their scientific thinking and problem solving skills while achieving their specific challenge. All the while caring for her Learners in a way where they always feel supported. Having Gemma as my Coach made a big difference in my understanding of the Improvement Kata and deepened my scientific thinking skills. I cannot recommend Gemma highly enough!!”

Julie Simmons, Improvement Kata and Coaching Kata Coach and Trainer

“I have had the pleasure of working with Gemma for close to a year now and the experience has been nothing short of amazing. Under Gemma’s coaching, I have been able to engage with scientific thinking with more ease and have seen it permeate my interactions and conversations with customers and colleagues. Gemma has taught me that through intentional engagement with Kata, scientific thinking can quickly become the primary lens by which we think about problems or challenges. Gemma provides coaching in a fun and relaxed environment that makes the act of practicing Kata one of the chief joys of my work. I would highly recommend working with Gemma to anyone who is seeking to elevate their scientific and critical thinking skillset.”

Jason Orlando, Performance Improvement Director

“Gemma is coaching numerous people across the Baptist system, and is working closely in partnership with us to develop a Scientific Thinking Community here within our organization.

Collaborating with Gemma brings an abundance of joy into my work. Gemma's brilliance, insight, flexibility, and open-mindedness are just a few of her remarkable qualities, but the overarching feeling is undeniably JOY. I once worried about time zone differences, only to find that they present no obstacle to our shared delight in working together. Every week, and frequently throughout the day, our collaboration fills me with pure joy as we constantly enhance our systems to improve patient care.”

Skip Steward, VP Chief Improvement Officer

“Working with Gemma is like working with a friend. She challenges me to be better in a way that is encouraging and helpful. My level of understanding of Kata has improved so much over the past year of working with her.”

Allison Bosse, CEO

“Receiving personal coaching from Gemma was nothing short of transformative. Her structured and unwavering support during our daily coaching sessions played a pivotal role in refining my scientific thinking skills as I navigated the intricate deployment of new patient services across a complex, multi-hospital health organization. Gemma's expert guidance not only sharpened my scientific-thinking skills but had a profound ripple effect, empowering and upskilling our local team members and ultimately leading to a remarkable enhancement of our organization's overall capabilities.”

Pamela J. White, Health System Pharmacist

The coaching sessions with Gemma were relaxing and informative. I quickly realized that Kata wasn’t just the PDSA, but it was a way to develop Scientific Thinking! Boom! The light bulb goes off and Kata is fun! There wasn’t any pressure to perform during the cycles because every step was an experiment. Receiving coaching from Gemma has completely shifted my mindset in Kata along with how I lead the work of others within our organization.

Gemma’s style of coaching should be copied and pasted across the entirety of the Kata community. She focuses on developing relationships with her learners, establishing a strong foundation of scientific thinking, and if they’re ready, she helps guide her budding Kata enthusiasts through their coaching journey until it’s time to take off the training wheels.

Cam Woodall, Performance Improvement Project Manager

“Gemma is a very effective coach. She kept me on-task, rigorously digging into the “whys” of my challenge while also uncovering and exploring some long-standing assumptions. Throughout all this, she was respectful and had a great sense of humour. So, working with Gemma is great! However, the real test of any improvement is: can it be sustained and how hard is it to sustain. My project during my Kata training was my office desk which had been a relentless disaster for 23 years. It has now been over a year and a half and with virtually zero effort my desk system has sustained itself. Yet she helped me do this without changing how I work but instead getting my desk to work for me and I think that is proof she is an excellent coach.”

Mark Ellens, Continuous Improvement Manager

“Gemma has changed my view about Kata! The way I used to practice was disjointed and felt difficult. From the way she teaches to the tip sheets she has created, Gemma has expanded my scientific thinking by creating a learning process and environment that is warm and welcoming yet challenging all at the same time.”

Jennifer Martinez, Administrative Director

“Working with Gemma has been a journey I couldn’t have anticipated. Her instruction and coaching in Kata has led to growth in our work environment, but, more importantly, this work has helped me grow as a leader, a team member, an employee and a human being. From her, I’ve learned success comes from failures and each step you take leads to valuable learnings. Challenges are hard and that gut check you feel when you set it is well worth it when you look back and see the road you’ve taken and what you’ve accomplished. Her guidance, encouragement, and push to taking big steps have been instrumental in my growth and helping to further deploy Kata to our teams.”

Nikki Gast, Associate Administrator