Catchball

Catchball takes its name from the image of throwing a ball back and forth. In strategy deployment, the ball is an idea, a goal or a plan. Senior leaders set the overall direction and pass it to the next level of management, who consider what it means for their area and what they can realistically achieve. They respond with questions, concerns and proposed targets, which leaders review and respond to in turn. The exchange continues until both sides agree on goals and plans that support the strategy and that the people responsible believe they can deliver. The final plan belongs to both levels, rather than being imposed by one on the other.

The practice is a core part of Hoshin Kanri, the strategy deployment method developed in Japan. It contrasts with purely top-down goal setting, where targets are simply assigned, and with purely bottom-up planning, where each unit sets its own goals without reference to strategy. For strategy and planning teams, catchball is a practical way to combine direction from the top with knowledge from the front line, improving both the quality of plans and commitment to them.

Definition of Catchball

Catchball is an iterative, two-way dialogue between management levels, used to translate strategic objectives into aligned goals, targets and plans at each level, through repeated proposal, feedback and adjustment until agreement is reached.

It is one way of building strategic alignment, and it is closely related to cascading goals and top-down and bottom-up planning.

How Catchball Works

Leaders set direction by sharing strategic objectives, the reasons behind them and initial expectations for each area. Explaining the reasons matters, since managers who understand why an objective was chosen can propose better ways to achieve it.

The next level considers the objectives, assesses what is achievable and proposes goals, plans and the resources they would need. Proposals often include risks and dependencies that leaders had not considered.

Leaders review the proposals, ask questions, challenge assumptions and suggest changes, and the two sides discuss until they agree.

The agreed goals then become the starting point for the next level down, and the process repeats until plans reach teams.

Catchball can also move sideways between functions whose plans depend on each other, so that dependencies are agreed as well.

What Makes Catchball Effective

Leaders must be willing to listen and change targets when the evidence supports it. If proposals are always overruled, the exercise becomes top-down goal setting in disguise.

Participants need good information about performance, capacity and constraints to make realistic proposals. Without it, proposals tend to be based on guesswork or on last year's targets.

The discussion should focus on how to achieve the strategy, not whether to pursue it, keeping the process constructive.

Time must be built into the planning calendar, since several rounds of discussion take longer than simply assigning goals.

Importance of Catchball in Strategy Deployment

Catchball builds commitment. People who help shape their goals understand them better and are more committed to achieving them. They are also more likely to raise problems early, since they feel ownership of the plan.

It improves the quality of plans. Front-line managers often know about constraints and opportunities that senior leaders do not, and catchball brings that knowledge into the plan. Plans built this way are more likely to survive contact with reality.

It also exposes problems early. Unrealistic targets, missing resources and conflicting priorities surface during planning rather than during execution.

Catchball and Financial Management

Catchball discussions often include budgets and resources, so that each level's goals are matched with the money and people needed to achieve them.

Exposing unrealistic targets early reduces the risk of overspending later on rushed recovery efforts.

When finance teams take part in catchball, they can test whether proposed plans fit within the overall budget and help resolve trade-offs.

Agreements reached through catchball give a clearer basis for tracking spending against goals during the year.

Common Challenges

Catchball takes time, which can be difficult when planning calendars are tight. Starting the annual planning cycle a few weeks earlier often solves this.

In hierarchical cultures, managers may be reluctant to challenge targets set by senior leaders, which limits the value of the dialogue.

Without clear rules for when discussion ends, catchball can drag on or turn into negotiation for easier targets. Setting a deadline for agreement and a clear process for resolving disputes keeps it on track.