GENBA

Name and history

Genba is a Japanese word widely-used in lean manufacturing and popularised in the Toyota Flow System. GENBA, meaning "the real place", refers to the place where value is created, and the “Genba Walk” invites people to stand back from their day-to-day task to observe what can be improved.

SenseMaker® Genba draws inspiration from this concept to develop a peer-to-peer journalling tool. Instead of being directed by descriptive questions, SenseMaker becomes an ongoing journal of what is really happening on the ground, from the people who experience it, as they experience it. This moves us further away from snapshots, and closer to continuous flows.

Prior knowledge

Some familiarity with the general characteristics of SenseMaker is preferable, even for off-the-shelf applications.

Deeper knowledge of SenseMaker as a software and an approach is going to be necessary for the creation of custom-made GENBA instances, either through a course or through an apprenticeship and experimentation.

Curiosity and individual exploration, as well as the willingness to explore the use of other methods in collective sense-making with the results.

Preparation and requirements to use this method

Facilitation skills Required

There are two possible areas where skills might be required in relation to Genba - in supporting methods used in engagement and implementation, and in the design and application of the Genba. The latter skills might fall more under SenseMaker skills rather than facilitation skills, can be acquired through relevant training, mentoring, or apprenticeship.

In terms of supporting methods that are helpfully intertwined with Genba, special consideration must be given to methods that entangle people in combinations of roles and cultivate connections, such as Entangled trios. Such methods can often be accompanied by journaling in a Genba system that accompanies the connections created and ensures that observations are recorded.

Preparation

GENBA is primarily a virtual method, so now physical preparation might be required
The designer or facilitator needs to do some pre-work regarding the environments in which journaling might be carried out, by asking initial scoping questions such as "where would we most benefit by getting an immediate, grounded perspective" and "where would we like to explore for connections that will allow us to innovate or improve"? These elements are further explored in the workflow outlined below.

Optional:

SenseMaker subscription. This can be to a programme, a pre-designed instance of MassSense, or a more general SenseMaker license.
For application on the ground, devices might be needed for people to make their journal entries. Participants can also access GENBA instances through links on their individual devices, or by using the SenseMaker application on their smartphones.

Participant Onboarding

No prior knowledge or preparation is required on the part of the participants, but some additional pre-work on engagement and their involvement in the process surrounding the use of Genba would be beneficial.

Action	COMMENTARY & TIPS
Scoping	This first step was implied in the preparation. There are three main areas in which scoping applies: The area of application and the question: which “real place” do we want to learn about? What are some of the elements or interactions that are present in that place? What are our questions? The engagement strategy: who do we want to involve in this process of observation? Why would they want to be involved? What the overall process is going to look like: Now that we know the “where” and the “who”, we need to think more about the “how”. This includes considerations such as regularising or ritualising Genba data review and feedback cycles, or the sharing process itself, and determining the way in which people are going to be involved - for example whether there is a launch announcement, workshops, or whether the Genba is tied to other initiatives.
Journaling prompt design	Now that the where, who, and how are sketched out, we can turn to the design of the Genba journal itself, where the first decision to be made is in regards to the prompt itself. Some commonly used options to consider here include: Leaving it open, for example “What is one thing that you would like to note or record”. Providing a range of options for what the participant can record, for example “this is a story I heard, this is something I experienced, this is an idea I had, etc.” Creating regularly rotating prompts or challenges with specific themes or targets, for example “This week collect an experience from someone who has been in the organisation much longer than you”.
Signification design	There are several options when running a Genba including adapting or buying into a pre-existing one, or designing something custom. A complete Genba would include designing or selecting the journaling prompt, the signification framework, and any significant analytical categories. Genba design also includes the consideration of the possibilities offered by multi-pronged prompts, as described in option 2 above; different options can be associated with variable signification frameworks.
Test all aspects of the collection	This is a crucial and often-neglected step. Test everything, from any devices you will be using, to the saving process, to your data access, so that you can work out any potential issues before a larger-scale launch.
Launch the Genba	Depending on the specific use and need, the launch might be tied to a specific event or ritual or it might be more asynchronous and distributed. Genba applications are often tied to regular and repeated rituals or events that already might exist, such as a weekly meeting, or a “tea and biscuits” break event. A typical Genba would be using a SenseMaker application and would involve circulating a browser collector link or app download instructions and a code. Both these elements can be in the form of a QR code or simplified URL. Your scoping in the beginning should have considered any need for training, instruction, or devices just before this stage.
Ongoing monitoring of patterns, visualisation, and perspectives	Although a collection phase followed by an analysis phase is common in Unsurvey SenseMaker approaches, it is not optimal for fast-paced situations where you want to keep up with the pace of the change - one of the main benefits of the Genba is offering a continuously evolving overview of perspectives on the ground, rather than one that is grounded in retrospect, so monitoring ideally should also be ongoing continuous rather than relying on reports looking backwards, although such artefacts can definitely be produced.

Method card material

This material will be extracted for the method cards

Possible symbols or illustrations

Front page description

SenseMaker® GENBA is a journaling tool that enables individuals to capture real-time observations and reflections in the field, without hindsight or mediation.

Back of card summary

GENBA journalling is a method to capture real-time data without mediation, at the time and place that the relevant experience occurs. Genba is a Japanese word meaning “the place where value is created” and invites people to stand back from day-to-day routines and observe what can be improved. Whether it’s front-line employees, military patrols, nurses in a care home or agile end users, journaling reduces the risks of retrospective coherence, capturing rich data in real-time and enabling users to track trends over time. Peer-to-peer journaling tool allows users to learn from others as well as reflect on their own journey with a searchable database of entries, increasing descriptive self-awareness.

How can it be used?

for diagnosis

Collection of near-real time data allowing fast reactions in fast-paced situations
Decision makers have direct access to stories on the ground with fewer intermediate filters, which could remove key information
No risk of “curated” recall as people look backwards - experiences or observations are recorded in the moment

for analysis/understanding

Decreasing chances of leading or guiding responses
Observing the evolution of new possibilities as they happen
A collective picture emerging out of diverse viewpoints

for intervention

Capacity for peer-to-peer learning and knowledge flow
Ability to make novel connections between elements and create data-supported insights

Method Properties - Ratings

COST & RESOURCES: How resource-intensive is the Method in terms of materials and tools required, and thus costs?

Requires only common office equipment (eg paper and pens)
Requires simple facilitation materials (special hexies, printouts, whiteboards etc)
Requires some inexpensive but specific tools and materials
Requires moderate investment in tools or software to apply
Requires significant investment in software or other specialist tools

COMPLEX FACILITATION SKILL: How much training and skill in complex facilitation does the Method require?

No complex facilitation experience is required
Some complex facilitation experience needed - practice in a safe space
Should be mentored while developing complex facilitation skill
Requires Mentoring until proven, familiarity with theory critical
Advanced, requires deep knowledge of theory and experience

ENGAGEMENT GRADIENT: How challenging is engagement of participants into the Method likely to be?

Ad hoc technique - can be used in multiple contexts with relative ease
Requires time commitment but overall, engaging and not difficult to achieve
Mild uncertainty or discomfort, may need work to keep people engaged
Indirect/ambiguous method, requires engagement through sustained levels of uncertainty
Challenging method – may incur resistance if people expect a more traditional approach