Hoshin Planning ◾ 163
We must also be careful not to be diverted by boulders that are off the
path.
Why Plan?
We plan to develop a shared vision of where we are going and how we will
get there. Indeed, at Toyota I came to realize that planning itself should be a
pull system: our vision so compelling that it pulls us into the future.
But we also plan for less obvious reasons:
◾ To improve as individuals and as an organization
◾ To compel renewal and reinvention
◾ To learn
Effective planning compels us to take stock of our strengths and weaknesses
and to take countermeasures. Planning also bursts the bubble of complacency
by continually setting breakthrough goals. We can never sit on our laurels.
Finally, Peter Senge’s concept of the “learning or ...