What Are the 5S Pillars?

A recent Building Bridges Leadership article on the concept of Kaizen touched on the five phases of 5S methodology, a system to reduce waste and optimize productivity through maintaining an orderly workplace. Implementation of this method “cleans up” and organizes the workplace basically in its existing configuration, and uses visual cues to achieve more consistent operational results. Recently, while helping some family members declutter after 45 years in the same home, I wondered if the 5S methodology could be applied more broadly – not just in physical spaces, but also in other aspects of our life and work.

To review, the five phases of 5S methodology are:

1. Sort (seiri, 整理): Focus on eliminating unnecessary items from the workplace that are not needed for current production operations. A common visual method to identify these unneeded items is called “red tagging”, which involves placing a red tag on all items that are not necessary for ongoing operations, or are in the wrong place. These help to evaluate the necessity of each item in a work area and to deal with it appropriately.
2. Set in order (seiton, 整頓): Create efficient and effective storage methods to arrange items so that they are easy to use, and label them so that they are easy to find and put away. This might involve putting up shelving, painting floors, separating areas of space, affixing labels and placards, etc.
3. Shine (seisō, 清掃): Remove distractions by cleaning. If the space is clean, you are more likely to see things that need to be repaired or dealt with. (This may end up happening concurrent with one or both of the first two pillars.)
4. Standardize (seiketsu, 清潔): Implement routines and practices to leave the space ready for a clean start the next day. This may involve scheduling 5-minute 5S periods, assigned roles, and the prevention of new accumulation.
5. Sustain/self-discipline (shitsuke, 躾): Create new habits to replace the old ones. Reminder signs and checklists can help, as can an email or Slack campaign to support productive actions and prevent backsliding.

Articles abound about the benefits of 5S methodology in the workplace (if you’re interested, visit the EPA, LinkedIn, or the Harvard Business Review), but I wonder how the 5S methodology might also help us to sort through the myriad of thoughts that run through our minds each day; the combination of worries, excitements, and distractions that make up our internal monologue.

This Week’s Tip:

Practice using 5S methodology for your thoughts and mental health. This will look different for everyone, but some suggestions are below:

1. Sort: Identify distractions that take you away from what you are presently doing, and find ‘parking spaces’ for them to allow you to focus. This might mean turning off devices (or placing them in ‘do not disturb’ mode).
2. Set in order: This could involve and writing down – ideally on paper – any thoughts that crop up distracting you from what you are doing; some people suggest bringing a small notebook around with you all day (and placing it next to your bed at night) to use as a capture tool for stray thoughts – you can look at them later, but in the meantime, you are free to forget about them as soon as they are on paper and not in your head. You can label and categorize them to return to them later.
3. Shine: Perhaps it’s time to sort out your inbox, or your desktop screen – or perhaps your bedroom or social calendar? Simplifying isn’t simple, but it can certainly support mental health.
4. Standardize: Take five minutes at the end of your work day to jot down notes on your highs and lows of the day, as well as incomplete tasks to focus on the following day. This will take practice, but can be helpful in freeing your mind for your time away from work.
5. Sustain/self-discipline: You might find it helpful to schedule time on your calendar for reflection at the end of each day, as well as more regular breaks – both of which you would prioritize over meetings or other demands.

Try any or all of these this week, and let us know how it goes – we’d love to hear from you. As always, you can subscribe to our feed here, or sign up for our weekly newsletter to get these articles directly in your inbox.