Tool 10/30 - 5S Methodology

The objectives of this short ten minute exercise -

1. To learn a tool that will be helpful in work life 
2. To apply the learning within a few minutes of learning
3. To use this as a morning ritual to start a great day 

Step 1 - the warm up

Keep your journal and pen at hand

Sit in a relaxed position with an intent to go into a ‘flow state’ to learn something new

Take three deep, powerful breaths to lock in your focus and start the next step

Step 2 - the learning

About 5S Methodology

5S methodology is a workplace organization tool from Japan, rooted in Toyota's production system during the 1950s. It enhances efficiency, safety, and productivity by streamlining processes, reducing waste, and fostering discipline. Popular in lean manufacturing, it promotes systematic organization and continuous improvement.

The 5S methodology was invented in Japan as part of the Toyota Production System (TPS). This framework emerged as a collective effort by Toyota engineers and managers, including pioneers like Taiichi Ohno and Shigeo Shingo, during the mid-20th century.

Situations (examples) where this tool can be best used

• Manufacturing Floor Efficiency
• Office Space Optimization
• Onboarding New Employees

The top three mental muscles (competencies) developed by practicing this tool

• Attention to Detail - Builds skill of careful observation to identify inefficiencies
• Operational Planning - Translating strategy into actionable, measurable goals
• Organizational Skills - Enhanced ability to prioritize and streamline workflows

A corporate story to understand the usage of this tool

Estée Lauder – Transforming luxury beauty through 5S methodology

Estée Lauder, the visionary founder of Estée Lauder Companies, revolutionized the beauty industry with her focus on luxury, innovation, and customer experience. Her journey mirrors the principles of the 5S methodology, which can be applied to her business strategy to understand its efficiency and success.

Sort

Lauder focused on a streamlined product line, starting with just four products. She eliminated unnecessary complexity, ensuring each product met her high standards of quality and luxury.

Set in Order

She organized her business operations by creating an effective distribution system, prioritizing department stores and high-end retailers. This ensured her products were always accessible to her target customers in prestigious locations.

Shine

Estée emphasized pristine presentation, from elegant packaging to spotless store displays. Her commitment to cleanliness and beauty reflected her brand ethos, creating an aspirational customer experience.

Standardize

She developed consistent branding and marketing practices, such as offering free samples and focusing on personalized service. These standards became the hallmark of her brand.

Sustain

Lauder instilled discipline across her teams, fostering innovation while maintaining the luxury brand’s essence. Her dedication ensured lasting success in a competitive market.

By aligning her vision with 5S principles, Estée Lauder built a legacy of luxury beauty and operational excellence.

A story from the World Wars

My personal story

Context - I heard about 5S for the first time, when I moved to a manufacturing company. Attempting to use it in an HR function -

Sort - Identify redundant HR processes and documents

Set in order - Create a single document on my workstation listing all important documents and their paths so that I can access them at a click of a button

Shine - Create calendarised a mock-customer-visit-day so that the whole department can look spic and span on that day

Standardize - Conduct audit to ensure that all HR processes have  SOPs and are easily accessible

Sustain - Create a Gemba walk checklist to ensure that 5S is in place

Step 3 - the reflection

Sit back, go down memory lane, think of various events in your work life where you could have used this learning.

If nothing comes to mind, think of a situation that would help you answer any one of these interview questions.

1. “Can you describe a time when you improved efficiency in your team or workplace?” - Share an example about your discipline (and relate it to 5S methodology) such as reorganizing a physical or digital workspace, creating standardized workflows etc.
2. “How do you handle resistance to change when introducing new processes?” - Highlight how you use ‘Standardize’ to make processes simple and easy to adopt, and ‘Sustain’ to engage team members through training, audits, and recognition
3. “How do you ensure consistent quality in your work or your team’s work?” - Mention how ‘Shine’ and ‘Sustain’ help maintain quality over time by keeping workspaces clean, tools in good condition, and employees disciplined in following procedures 

Step 4 - the practice

Apply your learning to the situation you selected above.

• Sort
• Set in order
• Shine
• Standardize
• Sustain

Step 5 - the victory lap

Celebrate your achievement for a minute. Maybe a quick victory lap doing some energizing exercise?

**

To those who felt, “Implementing management tools can feel like an additional burden on top of existing responsibilities.” - Do you feel that the last ten minutes were worth the effort? 

This exercise is not only about management tools. It’s about building a neural pathway. And it’s about my mantra for creating small daily acts of feeling successful and happy. 

Don’t forget to carry this image 👇 in your mind. There could be a great situation where you may want to use the tool. Keep a log of all such situations. This practice will help you when you want to train someone.

My congratulations for your first dose of the day of success and happiness. Have a great day ahead.