The Obeya (Japanese for ‘big room’) is a physical space where management is used to align operational teams and leadership in their efforts to translate strategy into meaningful day-to-day work and results. It helps develop the ability to have meetings that create meaningful context and avoid distractions such as bias, ego and over-complexity. When used throughout the organization, it supports the development of a systematic approach to leadership that enables consistent, coherent and effective decision-making.
Some reasons to use Obeya are: better alignment between teams and alignment of purpose, more effective meetings, better insights & decision-making, people development, trust & collaboration and rewarding.
In the Obeya, the five key responsibilities are visualized: lead successful strategies, drive performance, deliver value, solve problems and act & respond. But only the visuals will not add value unless you put the principles into practice. The team must also follow the seven principles for behaviour: think in systems & accountability, share context & problems visually, develop people, rhythm & routine (kata), keep improving, go & see and cascade & connect.
To start with an Obeya it is recommended to use a transformation approach (approach agreed, Obeya explained, commit, set the stage, refine the information, starting the routines and continuous improvement).
Conclusion: A very practical book to get a good understanding of the Obeya concept. The usage of a single case throughout the book makes it very easy to understand the theory. Definitely a must read for management teams who want to improve their organization’s performance.
Over Henny Portman
Henny Portman is eigenaar van Portman PM[O] Consultancy en biedt begeleiding bij het invoeren en verbeteren van project-, programma- en portfoliomanagement inclusief het opzetten en verder ontwikkelen van PMO's. Hij is auteur en blogger en publiceert regelmatig artikelen.