Why are Kanban meetings called feedback loops?

The fifth practice of the Kanban method is called feedback loops. Still, it mainly explains the Kanban's meetings method, or rather, the possible meetings, as you should adapt to your context and will likely have more meetings than those suggested by the method.

March/14/2024 - 6 minutes reading

We often discuss feedback as a form of evaluation or response to communication with one or more people. In this context, feedback on work would be the client's response or review of the provided product or service. However, in Kanban, feedback loops are meant to evaluate or decide on the flow, not the work passing through the flow. This is the crucial difference.

There are several feedback loops, but we will mention the three basic forms: Workflow Replenishment, Workflow Kanban Meeting, and Flow Review.

Workflow Replenishment

This feedback loop is not necessarily a meeting but mainly for product creation and software development teams; a meeting is held to decide which items should enter the flow, that is, to decide what the following work tasks are. However, in service environments, for example, or in sales, the customers must be served as they arrive, and the flow replenishment happens naturally on demand.

But understand that this is the moment for feedback on the flow, not the work. Therefore, based on how the work is at the moment of replenishing the flow, choices will be made about whether the work can be selected, left for future replenishment, or rejected. The flow should be replenished with what is available at that moment.

Workflow Kanban Meeting

This is when people gather before the Kanban board to assess and decide on the work currently in the flow. It is another opportunity to look at the flow and quickly decide about it in a few minutes. Again, it is a feedback loop about the flow.

Discussions about the work might happen, but they are beyond the purpose of this moment. Therefore, if it is quick and necessary, the work can be discussed, but if it takes time, it is better to continue the discussion after the Workflow Kanban Meeting.

Flow Review

In this meeting, interested parties discuss and decide how the flow can be improved, what changes can be made to make it more efficient, and how they can better achieve work efficiency.

It is clear that, once again, the focus is on the flow. If there are metrics, great, evaluate the flow metrics; if not, that's okay; use the Kanban board and people's perception of the flow's progress.

And the other meetings?

Then comes some questions: When do I hold meetings about the work? Or when do I plan the work? When do I better detail the work? When do I review how the work was done?

You can hold other meetings; the Kanban method does not restrict you. Have as many meetings as necessary. The method even advises representing these stages of the work on the board. Represent the work that needs to be planned and the already planned work. You can also represent if there is still a need to review what has been done, as well as what has already been reviewed, and so on.

Additionally, you can adapt Kanban meetings to include discussions, feedback, and/or decisions about the work. But this is a contextual decision based on your environment and similar environments. The Kanban method is flexible in including or not including these moments regarding the work; however, it describes feedback loops as moments of looking at the flow.

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