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Improvement Kata Practitioner
Stop Wandering. Start Improving.
A course that shows you a practical way to make steady progress when the path is unclear.
Most people try to improve by planning harder. Improvement Kata teaches you to improve by learning faster. If you are tired of spinning your wheels and want a routine that works in the real world, this course is your next step.
What Is The Improvement Kata
A scientific approach to improvement
The Improvement Kata is a simple improvement routine that helps you make progress when the way forward is foggy. It gives you a way to choose a direction, define what “better” looks like next, and run small tests that show what actually works. This course teaches you how to use it with confidence.
Want a deeper overview? Visit the Improvement Kata page to explore the routine and download the templates.
Why People Struggle To Improve
Most improvement attempts:
swat at symptoms
chase the issue of the day
guess the next step
rely on big plans that collapse
cannot track real improvement
cannot answer “How are we better than six months ago?”
Improvement Kata gives you structure to build capability over time. This course helps you put that structure into practice.
This Course Is For You If...
Are you not sure if your improvements will actually build capability?
But the path forward is unclear and you are tired of spinning on the same problems.
Do you retros but often wonder if it is making a difference?
After a year, nothing meaningful has improved with our Agile teams.
Do you feel overwhelmed by large improvement efforts?
You want a way to break improvement into small steps you can actually follow.
Do your improvement efforts feel all over the place?
You fix the problem of the day, but nothing builds long-term capability.
Doe you or your team lose momentum after starting?
You want a routine that keeps you focused and moving.
Do you want an evidence-based approach proven way to helping others improve?
And want a clear and structured way to guide people through meaningful improvements.
What You Will Learn
Skills that help you improve with confidence and consistency.
How to set a meaningful long-term vision of 'better'
You stop fixing the problem of the day and start building capability that matters.
How to see the current situation clearly
You reveal what is really going on so you stop using band aids and start addressing the actual cause.
How to understand what is causing the problem
You see deeper than symptoms so improvement actually sticks.
How to define a reachable milestone
You turn a big goal into a clear next target so you can learn faster and see real progress sooner.
How to run small experiments that reveal what works
You get real feedback quickly so you stop guessing and start improving.
Work Like a Scientist, Not a Fortune Teller
When you follow a plan just because it’s the plan, you drift. When you adapt to what you learn, you actually improve.
What You Get When You Take The IKP Course
Improvement Kata AI Companion
Your on-demand coach that refines your targets, sharpens experiments, and keeps you moving.
Your Improvement Workbook
Improvement Workbook A structured place to capture your thinking and track real progress over time.
A structured place to capture your thinking and track real progress over time.
Improvement Kata Templates
Challenge, Target Condition, and Experiment Canvases that keep your thinking organized and guides you through the routine.
Stop Wandering, Start Improving Guide
A practical guide that shows you how to use the Improvement Kata step by step.
How The Improvement Kata Works
This is how you stop wandering and start improving in 3 steps
1. Choose a Longer-Term Direction That Matters
Challenge
A Challenge describes the destination you care about.
It anchors your effort so each small step moves you toward something meaningful.
2. Set the Next Reachable Milestone
Target Condition
The Target Condition is the next version of “better” you can realistically reach soon.
Instead of mapping the whole path, you define what good looks like next based on your current reality.
3. Run Small Tests to Learn What Works
Experiments
Experiments are quick, simple tests you run to learn your way toward the Target Condition..
You make a small prediction, try something safe, see what actually happened, and adjust based on real evidence.
Meet Your Guide
JOHN MILLER, CST
🛠️ You Improvement Guide
have spent years helping people and teams improve. I tried many different frameworks, hoping one of them would finally make improvement feel lighter and more reliable. They looked convincing at first, but they all shared the same problem. They depended on prediction. They expected you to map the path upfront. And the moment the work shifted, the plan fell apart and left us rebuilding effort that had never been tested.
The Improvement Kata was the first routine that held up in real conditions. It let me take small steps, learn from what actually happened, and adjust based on evidence instead of hope. Progress became something we built day by day instead of something we planned months in advance. I wish I had found it fifteen years earlier.
You do not need to repeat my failures. This course gives you a simple routine for making real progress when plans fall apart. If you are tired of improvement efforts that drag on and deliver little, this is the course that will help you move again.
I am John Miller and I look forward to sharing a better way to get better with you.
Why This Course Stands Above The Rest
Learn by doing
This course is built around short reps and simple prompts. You will use the routine, not just hear about it.
No Death by PowerPoint
You want a routine that keeps you focused and moving.
You want a proven way to help others improve
You need a simple, structured approach that guides people without overwhelm.
Work on a real improvement that matters to you
You apply the routine to a real improvement from your own work or life. As you learn, you actually make a something better.
Get guidance from experienced Improvement Kata coaches
You’re learning with experts who have done this in real situations for years.
You stay engaged throughout, not checked out
Short activities and real interaction keep the pace moving.
What Our Past Students Say
“Our PLC used to get stuck in endless conversations. We talked a lot about improvement but never saw much change. Using the Kata routine broke that pattern. We picked one real student need, ran small steps, and finally saw progress we could point to. This is the first time our PLC felt productive, not draining.”
Sarah Ramirez
7th Grade ELA Teacher
“I used to push big improvement efforts that dragged on and never matched the reality of our work. The Kata routine gave my team a way to move without waiting for perfect plans. We made steady progress in weeks instead of months. The impact was real, and the effort was lighter.”
Michael Chen
Operations Manager
“Our delivery team kept hitting the same problems sprint after sprint. We tried fixes, but nothing stuck. The Kata routine helped us look at what was actually happening and run small tests that worked in real conditions. It was the first time improvement didn’t feel like extra work.”
Alicia Thompson
Delivery Team Lead
Certification
You earn certification by demonstrating that you can:
apply the improvement routine
define direction and milestones
design small tests
improve through evidence
guide yourself or others
Certification is based on demonstrated competence.