The Asakai Myth: A Board, but No Facts

We put up a board and hold a stand-up meeting every morning. But if decisions are delayed, problems go unspoken and behaviour does not change, we have a ritual; we do not yet have a functioning management system.

Daily plan and actual performance

Asakai is the practice of holding a short daily meeting. For me, the opening questions are simple: what was yesterday’s plan? What actually happened? Which deviations affect today’s work?

The purpose of daily follow-up is to prevent problems from remaining invisible until the next weekly meeting. However, an urgent safety or quality issue should not wait for the morning meeting either.

Discussing the reality behind a red indicator

The board should show planned and actual performance using the same definitions. Colouring a deviation red is not enough; employees must be heard when they explain it. In a meeting that publicly shames people, data and problems are more likely to be hidden.

Where appropriate, meeting in a place where we can see the work is useful. An issue identified on the board is investigated through on-site observation and the involvement of the relevant people when needed.

A short meeting, clear follow-up

Ten to fifteen minutes is a duration many teams can try as a starting point; it is not a fixed standard for every business. Trying to conduct a detailed root-cause analysis of every problem during the meeting derails the agenda.

• Clarify the deviation and its impact.
• Identify the necessary initial measure and the person responsible for follow-up.
• Record the target date and the next review time.
• Agree when and to whom an issue beyond the team’s authority will be escalated.

Which obstacle is the manager removing?

A manager’s role is more than asking for answers. “Which obstacle do I need to remove so you can take this step?” turns the meeting into practical support.

We do not have to produce a kaizen every day or finish every problem on the same day. But we should make the status of open actions visible, follow up commitments and initiate separate work on permanent solutions. The value of Asakai lies in this continuity.