How to Use the A3 Process to Lead, Manage, Mentor, and Solve Problems

On paper, an A3 is one 11-by-17 sheet. In practice, it’s how you think a problem through, coach the people working on it, and build agreement on what to do next.

how to a3 cover

This guide brings together six of our most-read Lean Post articles on A3. Inside:

  • What each of the seven A3 boxes asks, and the template rules people skip most
  • Why to start with the thinking before you write anything
  • How to share an A3 like a portable whiteboard to build buy-in
  • Five real A3 examples and a detailed template to use with your team

"Resolving issues using the A3 methodology should involve lots of asking, listening, and communicating throughout the process to ensure you are getting the knowledge, thinking, concurrence, and support of others who have a stake in the situation."

— David Verble, Lean Coach, Lean Enterprise Institute