Manage on Purpose: Align Teams, Develop Strategy, Grow People with Mark Reich

What does it really take to align teams, develop strategy, and grow people? In this episode, Mark Reich shares how hoshin kanri can help you manage on purpose and turn strategy into meaningful action. #HoshinKanri #LeanLeadership #StrategyDeployment

How effective is your organization's strategy in achieving results?

If your team doesn't understand how their daily work connects to bigger organizational goals, you don't have a strategy—you have a gap.

A gap in engagement.

A gap in alignment.

This gap leads to confusion, misaligned priorities, and wasted effort.

In this episode, I’m joined by Mark Reich, author of "Managing on Purpose," to explore how hoshin kanri – often translated as strategy or policy deployment – can bridge this gap and transform your strategy development and deployment process.

With over 23 years at Toyota and extensive experience guiding organizations through lean transformations, Mark reveals how hoshin kanri offers a fundamentally different approach to strategy execution and management. It connects people to purpose, builds capability, and aligns cross-functional areas, turning vision into results.

Ready to turn your strategy into action by aligning and building a purpose-driven organization?

In this episode you’ll learn:

✅ The key differences between hoshin kanri and traditional strategy management

✅ Common misconceptions around strategy deployment and what sets hoshin kanri apart

✅ The role of catchball in connecting top-down and bottom-up processes

✅ The importance of building reflection (hansei) and PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) into the process

✅ Real-world examples of organizations successfully transitioning to hoshin kanri strategy development and deployment

Listen Now to Chain of Learning!

Tune in to learn how hoshin kanri can help your team move from confusion to alignment, grow capabilities, and achieve results.

About Mark Reich:

Mark Reich is the author of the new book "Managing on Purpose: Using hoshin kanri to develop strategy, align teams, grow leaders, and innovate your enterprise." He spent 23 years at Toyota, including six years in Japan, seven years at the Toyota Supplier Support Center (TSSC), and over a decade leading Toyota’s North American hoshin kanri process. Today, Mark’s the Senior Coach and Chief Engineer of Strategy at the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI), where he guides organizations and their executives on lean transformation.

IMPORTANT LINKS:
🔗 Full episode show notes with links to other podcast episodes and resources:
https://www.ChainOfLearning.com/45

🔗 Connect with Mark Reich:
  / markareich  

🔗 Get Mark Reich’s book, Managing on Purpose:
https://www.lean.org/store/book/manag...

🔗 Check out my website for resources and to work with me:
https://www.KBJAnderson.com

🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn:
  / kbjanderson  

🔗 Download my FREE KATALYST™ Change Leader Self-Assessment:
https://www.KBJAnderson.com/katalyst

🔗 Learn more about the history and application of hoshin kanri in my book:
https://www.LearningToLeadLeadingToLe...

RELATED CHAIN OF LEARNING PODCAST EPISODES:
🎙 Dive into how to ask more effective questions:
📌 Episode 13 | 3 Ways to Break the Telling Habit® and Create Greater Impact
https://www.ChainOfLearning.com/13

🎙 Discover how Lean has failed:
📌 Episode 37 | Lean Has Failed (or Has It?) with James Womack
https://www.ChainOfLearning.com/37

🎙 Explore the skills needed for effective leadership including hoshin kanri:
📌 Episode 21 | Leading to Learn Part 1: Build A Chain of Learning with Isao Yoshino
https://www.ChainOfLearning.com/21
📌 Episode 22 | Leading to Learn Part 2: The Power of Reflection with Isao Yoshino
https://www.ChainOfLearning.com/22

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:05 Hoshin Kanri vs. Traditional Strategy
02:52 What is Hoshin Kanri?
03:49 Common Mistakes in Strategy Deployment
04:26 Two Key Differences of Hoshin Kanri
05:16 The Problem Behind "Managing on Purpose"
10:07 Why True North Vision Matters
11:34 The X-Matrix: Tool or Barrier?
15:31 The Role of Catchball in Hoshin
20:32 How to Lead Effective Catchball Conversations
23:07 Vertical vs. Horizontal Catchball
24:31 Collaborative Input and the A3 Process
26:17 How Leaders Can Retain Perspective in Catchball
28:30 The PDCA Cycle in Hoshin Kanri
31:06 Leadership Flexibility and Daily Management
32:19 Daily Work vs. Strategic Work
34:31 Embedding Reflection to Make PDCA Work
37:31 Long-Term Learning in Hoshin Systems
39:48 Using Hansei to Prioritize What Matters