Target Condition

Definition

A target condition is a detailed description of how a process should operate by a specific near-term date — a step closer to a distant vision, and a "challenge that goes somewhat beyond current capability." Unlike a long-range vision, which is deliberately vague ("a direction-giver, but not much more"), a target condition is concrete enough to be measured against. Rother's rule: "Once a target condition is defined, it is not optional nor easily changeable. It stands. How to achieve that target condition is optional."

In the Book

Chapter 3 introduces the vision/target-condition split through the sensor-cable factory example: management wants a vision of one-by-one flow, and rather than debate whether to shrink batch sizes from five days to one, the target condition of a one-day batch is simply declared non-negotiable — the only open question is how to work through the two obstacles (paperwork, first-piece inspection) standing in the way. This reframes cost/benefit analysis: at Toyota, CBA is not used to decide whether to pursue a target condition ("this proposal is too costly, so do something else") but to decide how to reach one already set ("this proposal is too costly, so find a cheaper way to do it"). Chapter 5 details how a target condition is built for a process — from a firsthand grasp of the current condition, a target for output/quality/cost metrics, and an explicit description of how the process should operate, deliberately leaving the path to reach it open.

Why It Matters

Separating "what condition we will reach" (fixed) from "how we'll reach it" (open, discovered through effort) prevents two common failure modes at once: goals so vague nobody can act on them, and plans so detailed they break on first contact with reality. It also changes what argument is even legitimate — once a target condition is set, debate shifts from "should we" to "how," which is a different and more productive conversation in any setting where people habitually re-litigate direction instead of solving the obstacles in front of them.