6S Success!

Making Information a Part of the Home

Ideally, the standards identified during a 6S event should be integrated into how the family enjoys and maintains the home.  Two primary means of doing this within a household is to create a 6S Housekeeping and Organization Guide and using visual controls when appropriate.

We’ve mentioned the 6S Housekeeping and Organization Guide so let’s start by providing ours for review.  The plan with our guide is to provide one page summaries of each area of the house where we have performed 6S activities.  The outline of the one page summary looks like this:

6S Housekeeping and Organization Guide – Klingdom Living Room

Target Area Name	Living Room
Last 6S Audit Date	1/13/2010
Last 6S Audit Score	1.2
Previous Score	NA
Next Scheduled Audit	1/31/2010
Last 6S Event Date	1/13/2010
Next Scheduled Event	1/15/2011
Desired State Photo
Area Primary Purpose(s)	Family Entertainment Media Enjoyment Social Gathering
Key Activities	Watch Movies and other Media Watch Cable Television Listen to Music Play Video Games Visit with Friends Personal Computing Reading
Necessary Items	Sony 50 Television with Stand Comcast Cable Box Apple TV Wii Laptop Computers Books DVDs and Video Games
Area Housekeeping and Organization Standards	Wipe down the TV every Friday! Never store or place Discs, DVD cases or Video Game cases on entertainment area! Replace Discs in the appropriate case and return to storage immediately after using. Pull out the TV and sweep once a month. Enforce a “No Fingers on the TV” policy. Return all video game accessories to the common video game storage areas. Remove items from under couch and ottoman once a month Vacuum inside couch once every 3 months Store only 1-6 pairs of shoes at the entryway.
Necessary Cleaning Items	Moist Dusting Cloth (stored in kitchen) Broom (stored in kitchen) Dust Pan (stored in kitchen)
Storage Standards	Store Video Game Peripherals with Rock Band Drums Organize Video Games Peripherals in one basket Store DVDs in alphabetical order Store only 1-3 toys in the bookshelf area Store laptops on bottom shelf when not in use Store only up to 20 current and interesting books on bookshelf

I am hoping we might be able to use something like this when house guests visit or if we do a house swap next year and move to France for a while.  It definitely helps the family stay focused on what’s important in terms of organization and housekeeping.  So one day we will have an entire guide for the home. 

The other method of making information a part of the home is the use of visual controls.  Visual controls play a vital role in housekeeping and organization.  Visual controls ensure that the identified standards documented during your 6S event are followed into the future.  It’s important that everyone understands the standards and how to meet those standards.  Think of it as your Visual Home.

Everyone is responsible for the implementation of visual controls.  Whether it be labeling a personal storage area or working with the entire house to organize and label a major storage area, everyone should be familiar with the power of visual controls.  You don’t need to go overboard with visual controls by labeling every little thing in your home.  It is a good however to identify certain control points in the home that would benefit from visual controls. 

The idea with visual controls in the home is that anybody can understand at a glance the primary purpose and layout of an area.  Before you start creating all kinds of visual controls, first decide on what it is you would like to control – what’s important based on the primary purpose and common issues in the area.  Control points should be linked to storage standards.  So if you look above in the Living Room Housekeeping and Organization example you can see that DVDs are too be stored in alphabetical order.  One thing we thought of doing was putting a little label above the DVD shelf that states that face.  We have babysitters and houseguests who may want to quickly locate a movie.  This label essentially would simplify the task of searching for media.  These control points are usually common areas – places where lots of people use the area – like supply areas, kitchens, bathrooms, storage, etc.

We are still brainstorming visual controls options, but we know that anything we implement should help us accomplish the following:

• Find anything in the living room in less than 10 seconds
• Keep clutter at a minimum
• Fully enjoy the primary purpose of the area
• Everybody knows what’s important in the area and how to organize and clean

Stay tuned for more results!

Preparing Holding Areas for the Sort Activity

During the 6S Sort activity there is a procedure for identifying unneeded items know as “Red Tagging.”  Red Tagging is used to draw attention to unneeded items. 

During the Sort activity, team members can tag unneeded items to show who tagged it, where and when the item was tagged, and why it doesn’t belong in the area.  Tags can also have additional information such as the item’s cost, model number, and suggestions on what to do with the item.

The 6success.com Red Tag looks like this:

Be careful not to go crazy with the red tag system or you may find yourself surrounded by a sea of red tags and little motivation to do anything about it.  Don’t red tag trash, items that belong in other areas, or lots of little items.  Throw trash away, recycle unneeded paper, plastics and glass.  Move items to their correct locations in other areas and move little items to a box for temporary storage until you can deal with all the little stuff.

Certainly red tag the big stuff because it will be easier to identify the large unneeded items and move them as a team.

Red Tag Holding Area

Holding areas are areas where unneeded items can be temporarily deposited until they are moved to other locations or disposed of.  Each target area should have an adjacent local holding area.  If the area of the home is large enough, consider a central holding area that the entire household can use, especially for items too large to be kept in local holding areas.  Holding areas really enable the Sort activity of 6S.  With holding areas, “just in case” type people are more likely to move an item out when the need for the item is in doubt.  Without a holding area, the decision is usually to “leave it where it is.”

6S Unneeed Item Cart Example

Eventually, you will want to remove all the unneeded items that you have red tagged in the target area.  You need to create a temporary holding area where unneeded items can be deposited until they are moved to other locations or disposed of.  This holding area should be adjacent to the target area if possible. 

Make sure you clearly identify and explain the holding area to all members of the 6S team.  When people know there is a place to take unneeded items, they will be more likely to use it and even move items out when the need for the item is in question.  Basically, if you don’t have a holding area most people will decide just to leave items where they are – whether they are needed or not.

Understand that many people realize that there are unneeded items in household areas.  It’s just that most people feel that there is no where to put this old junk, so they hide it in their closets, under desks, and in boxes tucked into corners.  When people finally have a place to put this unneeded stuff, they are usually relieved.  Until then, they will be afraid to throw it out.  So get these items out of the way by establishing a temporary holding area for unneeded items.

So, as a precursor to teaching our two year old daughter the 6S methodology of organization and housekeeping, my wife and I thought we would try a late evening pilot run of the activities for Sort, Straighten, and Shine on our living room entertainment center.

As you will see from the “before” pictures, we have a compact but fairly large television entertainment area consisting of a 50 inch Sony TV with two tiered glass shelved stand, our horrible Comcast cable box, a first generation Sony Play Station 3, a Mac TV, a Wii, a Wii Fit Balance Board, and several controllers, cords, and microphones.  If you inspect the “before” picture carefully you will also see a Bose iPod system on the top of the TV and many odds and ends like dvds, markers, socks, and toys on the floor.  There is a small triangular space behind the television where a tangle of cables, wires, and plugs rest smugly out of easy reach.

Living Room Entertainment Center – Before Pictures

 Before starting our 6S activities we briefly met as a family to discuss the primary purpose of our TV Entertainment Area.

Our short list of intended primary functions is:

• Watch Movies
• Watch Cable Television
• Listen to Music on Bose
• Play Video Games
• View Pictures and Movies via Camera or Apple TV

Based on the intended primary purpose of our area, we could then determine the items necessary to enjoy those activities in the area.

As you have probably guessed by the above pictures and the best practice of photographing current conditions before performing 6S activities, we took a couple quick photos of the corner where the television sits.  We also used an excel version of the 6S Audit Form and completed an audit of the area.

There results of the audit were dismal.  We scored a 1.8 in Sort which represents serious issues in the area with clutter and unnecessary items.  Our 2.8 score in Straighten became even worse when we realized that the Play Station 3 was no longer working!  The light was on but nobody was home.  Dust was clogged in every pore of the poor thing.  I guess if we had been implementing 6S all along we wouldn’t be $400 in hole on our lost Play Station.  It’s a shame too because we played it sooo much and it really brought friends together.  Our first important 6S lesson learned I suppose.  I will pledge to maintain my surviving electronics which is all now nice and shiny.  As expected, our Shine score was equally horrendous – a 0.4!  Everything had a thick layer of dust on it.  No dusting had been completed since moving in seven months ago. Standardize and Sustain weren’t any better as you can see from the results.  6Ssuccess.com Television Entertainment Center 6S Audit and our results.

As we completed the audit, we also identified a couple of key areas which would benefit from organization and housekeeping.  We knew we could remove the Play Station and hope to get it repaired so we did that.  We noticed that the Mac TV was not plugged into the television and the Wii remotes had no batteries.  We also found several old and unused Rock Back guitar plugs and wires.  We identified an immediate opportunity to pull the television out a little organize the needed cables and dust and clean back there.  There was also an opportunity to figure out how to get a laptop plugged into the television so we could watch DVDs and internet content while we dealt with the dead Play Station.  We also discovered that the Apple TV device did not have its power cable.  We decided that we wanted to plug the Apple TV into the TV now the HDMI cable was free and the Play Station 3 dead.  We couldn’t find the cord upstair and it took about 10 minutes to find it in a box downstairs in the basement, but we did find it.

So we completed the sort activity by removing the Wii Balance  Board which hadn’t been used in over six months.  That eliminated almost half of our electronics from the glass shelving of the television stand.  So, the identified and agreed upon necessary items for the entertainment center are:

• Sony 50 Television with Stand
• Comcast Cable Box
• Apple TV
• Wii

We decided that we would store the video game related stuff – Balance Board, extra controllers, microphones and the Rock Band guitars that were stored next to the couch in a different room where we also store the Rock Band drum set.  Everything is in a nice low rectangular basket that nests nicely with the drums.

Next we needed to complete the Straighten activity by determining the best location for the necessary items we identified for the Entertainment Center.  As you can see by the “before” picture, the cable box was to the left on the top shelf with play station in the center and the Mac TV on the right.  The Balance Board was on the bottom shelf on the left, a cluster of controllers, microphones, and wires in the middle, and the Wii on the right.  We have a large cocktail ottoman that sometimes prevents easy channel surfing when sitting in some spots on the couch.  We decided to move the cable box more to the center of the shelf so that it could be accessed by a remote beam from both sides of the couch better.

As we slid the TV stand out to organize wires, we removed all the toys and clutter that had accumulated under the stand. It’s amazing what can fit between a two inch gap between the floor and a TV stand.

Nova did a terrific job picking up her toys and other things around the entertainment center and putting them in the Unneeded Item Box.  We picked up:

• 2 Christmas Ornaments
• 1 tiny pinecone
• 1 pink sock
• 1 toy
• 3 suction cups
• 1 crayon
• 2 colored pencils
• 1 piece of chalk
• 1 remote control electrical plug used at Christmas time
• 1 teal popsicle stick
• 1 marker cap to a marker that has long since dried out
• 1 ring
• 1 controller to the PS3
• 2 USB Wireless controller plugs for PS3
• 2 microphones for PS3
• 1DVD
• 2 iPod/iPhone USB cables
• 1 Apple TV remote control
• 1 HDMI cable
• Miscellaneous cables to equipment being used in area

Before placing our electronics in their new locations we dusted like crazy.  

Dust is the thing that accumulates the most in the home, especially around electronics.  We like the dusters that magnetically attract all the dust to them.  We also like the air cans that blow dust out of nooks and crannies.  Our favorite item to dust with is a damp towel however.

We wiped down the television screen with a damp cloth and let me tell you it needed it.  In fact, during our standardize retrospective we decided to add a weekly wipe down of the TV.

Nova did another great job helping to wipe down the television and glass shelves.  We each had our own damp towl and we showed Nova all the little nooks and crannies that our big fingers couldn’t reach.  She became very excited knowing she could do something mommy and daddy couldn’t do.  We spent ten solid minutes as a family erradicating every piece of dust.  Nova also ran into the kitchen and grabbed the broom for us.

Dust Bunnies Living Large Behind the TV

We pulled out the television and unplugged all the devices and swept up a coven of dust bunnies.  Nova then ran back into the kitchen and retrieved the dust pan.  She was really getting into it!

We then pointed Nova and her dusting towel to the Play Station.  She wiped it down excellently!

We placed the remaining items back on the glass shelves and organized the corresponding cords and cables.  We put zip ties on our shopping list so we can organize and tie off the cords and cables leading to and from all the devices.  First, as mentioned earlier, we decided to locate the cable box more toward the center of the shelving unit so the remote beam could better hit the box from either side of the couch.  Next, we decided that the Apple TV should go in the bottom left corner because it needs to be away from other electronic devices.  Finally, we put the we on the bottom right for a sense of symetry.  The Bose system remained precariously perched on the top of the TV.  There is a safety concern with the location of the Bose and with the Apple TV up and running and connected to two Macs, we had all our music needs met with the TV.  So, we decided to move the Bose system to our bedroom and replace the tiny outdated portable stereo we were using.  Another excellent improvement to the house and an eliminated safety hazard to boot!  This 6S stuff is good!

Next, we wanted to sketch out our best method of keeping the TV enterntainment area clean.  It’s always a good idea to use your after pictures as a model of how the area should look.  You can print our your after pictures and put them in a household guideliness notebook.  If we have time, we will build on online notebook for 6ssuccess family practitioners.

Living Room Entertainment Center – After Pictures

Also, look no further than the documented areas for improvement in your 6S Audit to provide the key bullet points for the Cleaning and Organization Standards.  Our list of standards ended up looking like this:

• Wipe down the TV every Friday!
• Never store or place Discs, DVD cases or Video Game cases on enterntainment area!
• Replace Discs in the appropriate case and return to storage immediately after using.
• Pull out the TV and sweep once a month.
• Enforce a “No Fingers on the TV” policy.
• Return all video game accessories to the common video game storage areas.

How will we sustain these recommended improvements?  Well, through the activities of Standardize we compiled some Household Guidelines for Entertainment Center Organization and Housekeeping.  The key components generated from Standardize were:

• Cleaning methods
• Identified and stored cleaning supplies
• Steps to clean area
• TV Wipedown – Weekly Cleaning Checklist
• Behind TV Sweeping Schedule - Scheduled Monthly of Family Calendar

Television Screen – Before

Television Screen – After

Next, is a few more items from the Sustain activity.  We scheduled the rest of the 6S Audits for the year that we will complete for the TV entertainment center.  We scheduled our next audit for a week from the day of completion so we could make sure we maintained our early gains.  Our next audit after that is scheduled for a month out and then for six months out.  We may include the entire living room in the periodic audit eventually.  We simply jotted these dates down in our Family Wall Calendar.

The last thing we did is scheduled a day for our next 6S Event for the TV entertainment area – a year from now.

So, we targeted a fairly small area for our first pilot of 6S at the house.  I think we all had a fairly good experience with it and we are really enjoying the results – except for the dead Play Sation 3.

The Bose system is terrific in the bedroom!  It was a great move.

I think the thing I learned the most was that everybody can get involved.  Nova did a lot of work for anybody involved in organization and housekeeping at home and did an incredible amount of work for a two year old.  To summarize her excellent effort, she helped dust with her own special damp dust towel, she identified and secured cleaning equipment (broom and dust pan), she picked up stray toys and other stuff and deposited them into the Unnecessary Item Box, and provided input into what the entertainment center’s primary purposes were – “Dora!” and “Mooies!”

I think we are going to leverage this momentum and tackle the DVD storage area in the living room next.

Stay tuned…

Here is the modified 6S Audit Form that we ended up with for our Television Entertainment Center Mini 6S event.  We used the same scoring key as is used in the standard 6S Audit.

Our initial 6S Audit average score was 1.8, averaging 3 to 6 major issues in the area.  Based on the audit results it was clear that we need to establish a cleaning method that kept the area dust free and the TV clean of tiny greasy fingerprints.

UPDATE: 01/17/2010 Results – Our 6S Audit results were amazing!  Everything looks exactly like our “after” picture.  As you can see by the center column above, we have near perfect scores in all categories.  This is really working!

Documenting the Intended Primary Functions for Each Area of the Home

The intended primary function of an area is essentially what the area was designed for – the key activities that are supposed to take place in that area of the home.

For example, the intended primary function of a dining room might be as a place for family dinners.  The dining room may have other functions, but it is important to know the current intended primary function.  What the intended function was when the home was originally designed is moot; you want to know its intent NOW.  Perhaps the room has been converted to a home office or play area.  The documented primary function and necessary items will certainly be different than if it was used for daily evening meals for a family of five.

Another example might be a spare bedroom.  Is the bedrooms primary function for guest comfort and sleeping?  Yoga and meditation?  Crafting?  Now may be a good time to identify each discrete area/room in the house and quickly document the intended primary functions of each.  Every area in the house should have a primary purpose.  Use the 6ssuccess.com Primary Purpose Worksheet to define one or two primary purposes for each room/area in the house, the activities that support that purpose, and the necessary items required to successfully enjoy the activities.

Documenting the primary purposes of each room in the house can really assist households in understanding and prioritizing the organization and housekeeping needs for each room.  Eventually 6S will be implemented in all areas of the house.  However, because each room needs the buy-in of the people who live and utilize the space, you have to treat each discrete area separately.  The best approach is to tackle each room separately and deal with each area one at a time.  You probably already have an idea of which room or area in the house needs to most organizing and cleaning.  Hopefully that room can also be a priority for other members of the household and you can prioritize that as your first 6S project. 

You might be tempted to address simply the messiest or most distressed area of the house first.  Really you should prioritize your 6S activities based on how frequently areas are used by members of the household, how visible the area is, and most importantly how many people use the area on a daily basis.  Look for areas in the house that members of the household complain most about and use the most.  You don’t necessarily have to tackle the most disorganized and “out of control” area first.  It is better to start on a room that can immediately benefit from organization and cleaning because it is the most commonly used room. 

You also want to set yourself and household up to succeed the first time you implement 6S.  Remember, people rarely enjoy trying to learn something new while having the expectation to execute flawlessly.  Whatever each household member was currently doing to organize and clean before implementing 6S, they most likely feel like they were good at it.  Learning a new method of organizing and cleaning can cause anxiety in many household members, because they are not familiar with the process.  So, identify a target area that will benefit from initial organization and cleaning, but also select the area based on your household members’ ability to succeed in the activities.

You can complete a 6S Prioritization Worksheet to assist you in identifying discrete areas of your home, prioritizing each identified area, and noting key criteria for success in each area.

It should be easy and straightforward to set priorities for 6S in each target area.  Focus on three categories or levels for prioritization:

• High Priority represents areas that need to be addressed immediately.
• Medium Priority represents areas that are important but do not require immediate attention.
• Low Priority represents areas that can wait until High and Medium Priority areas are completed.

You should NOT have a list where every target area is High Priority.  If you do, then you need to reassess the intended primary function of each area or the home conditions are in such distress that each target area is in emergency state.  If that is the case, pick the highest priority room and start there and hope you can progress through each room at a fairly consistent rate.  For a house or apartment 5,000 square feet or less, choose three areas to be High Priority, three areas to be Medium Priority, and the rest to be Low Priority.

Organizing the areas with 6S

To organize is to arrange in a desired pattern or structure, which is coherent and based on the intended primary function of the area.  Coherent is a key word in that wordy and lofty description.  To be coherent something must be logically connected and consistent – with natural agreement and function of all the parts.  Each 6S activity contributes to the ultimate organization and effectiveness of the target area.

For example, the Sort activity begins organization activities by identifying the necessary items for the target area and eliminating the unnecessary items from area.  This is the first step in organizing any area.  Based on the common uses or primary functions of the area, you can immediately determine what items are needed to accomplish those specific results.

Next, the Straighten activity assists households in determining where to locate and place each necessary item.  The Straighten activity also provides guidelines to determine how items should be stored, labeled, used, replaced, and replenished – all key components to organizational effectiveness in any area.

As you continue through the 6S experience, each activity takes you a step closer to realizing and maintaining organizational improvements in selected target areas.  The Shine activity assists in maintaining a “like new” environment and ultimately reduces costs.  The Standardize activity helps you get everyone doing things in the same best way on the things that count and the Sustain activity provides methods and tools for maintaining the gains you realize.

6S can provide everyone involved in any target area with the tools, guidelines, checklists, and procedures to quickly take advantage of proven organization and housekeeping strategies.  If you are interested in a coherent and structured approach to organization which will reduce costs and improve overall efficiencies, you can begin by reviewing the Principles of 6S and conducting a 6S Audit of the target areas of interest.

Creating a 6S Audit Score Display

A 6S Audit Score Display shows whether a target area has met its 6S goal, tracks the conditions of the area over time, and provides milestone information such as the highest gains or potentials in each target area.  The 6S Audit Score Display can be an effective way in sustaining the 6S improvements implemented in a target area.  It can also create a spirit of healthy competition amongst target areas.  In fact, many households tie some form of reward and recognition to the results displayed on the 6S Audit Score Display.

Any 6S team, whether it be working on a work target area or an area of the home, can create 6S goals, track the goals with a visual display, and reward team members based on the results over time.  For example, look at the 6S Audit Score Display example below.  As you can see by the results, the kitchen team has not met their target for two months, whereas the bathroom team not only met their target last month but also had the best gain ever in the current month.

As you can see, it’s easy to get an idea of each target areas status.  This may also assist you with some corrective actions.  For example, something is obviously going on with the kitchen that should be addressed.  Perhaps more people are needed in the general organization and cleaning activities.  Perhaps the many people that use the kitchen do not have enough preventative practices for organization and cleaning when they are using the kitchen.  Come together as a group to discuss the results shown on the 6S Audit Display.  Remember that blame is a deadly waste, so just work together to come up with a realistic plan to address the issues.

6S Photography Helpful Hints

Hint #1: Don’t overdo it!

Photographs can be powerful tools, but they can also be overused.  It is best to choose a few pictures that tell a story clearly than using too many photos.  Look for the “money shot” – the shot that exemplifies the current conditions of the target area.  One shot that evokes an impression is better than several of the same condition.

Hint #2: Make the photos real.

The best photographic shots are taken when the target area is being used.  In other words, make the shots “real,” not staged.  Don’t clean up before shooting.  Don’t announce the photo shoot ahead of time.

Hint #3: Remember the purpose of your task.

Remember that you are trying to create a photographic story, so it is best to take pictures, over time, from the exact same location.  Also remember to create a story from the outside in, from large to small, from obvious to not so obvious.  Always get shots inside drawers, cabinets, and closets.

Hint #4: Gather the right equipment and supplies for the task.

Before taking pictures, make sure you have the camera ready.  It is recommended to use a digital camera for easy use and immediate printing.  Make sure you have a charged camera that isn’t malfunctioning with the appropriate computer cable handy for download and printing.

Hint #5: Use fixed point photography method

Before you start shooting, as you are identifying the potential shots that will best tell the story of the problems and current conditions of the target area, mark potential locations by tagging a focal point on the floor where you will stand for the shot.  This concept is known as fixed point photography and will ensure that you get an excellent comparison of before and after pictures.

Hint #6: View the target area as if seeing it for the first time.

It’s often a good idea to have people that do not spend much time in the target area participate in 6S activities because they will often approach it with a fresh set of eyes and no previous perspectives on the area.  Question everything in the target area.  Get shots of open drawers, cabinets, closets and anywhere else in which problems can hide.  Also get shots from under and above – the camera can help you discover things.

Hint #7: Print your photographs as quickly as possible.

This is why you should be using a digital camera.  If you take digital shots and can immediately plug them into an LCD projector or print color copies to view with the team, participants can begin analyzing and solving problems immediately.

Hint #8: Label your printed photographs.

Hint #9: Create a visual display of your photographs and areas of improvement

Whether you are organizing a room in the house or optimizing a target area in your workplace, communication is key if you intend to have others collaborating with you on the endeavor. 6S establishes several opportunities and standard mechanism for establishing and communicating expectations during 6S activities. In fact, each 6S activity has a set of corresponding procedures, checklists, forms and tools that can be used to clearly set expectations and instructions for anyone participating in your 6S activities.

For example, the 6S Sort process provides the Sort Inspection Checklist, Red Tag Checklist, Unnecessary Item Checklist, and Item Disposition Guidelines, in addition to the standard operating procedures to complete each activity. The 6S Straighten process provides the Straighten Criteria Checklist, 6S Storage Checklist, and complete guidelines for using visual controls such as lines, labels, and signboards in your target area. Each 6S process is documented for easy communication to 6S teams.

Communication doesn’t start and end with an easy printout of the above checklists and guidelines. 6S teams should feel engaged and empowered and communication will set the stage. How can you successfully engage and empower your 6S team? Understand that in the dynamic world we live in, things are constantly changing. Most likely, each person’s personal and team needs are always changing with the environment. Many people feel challenged with living amid such chaotic and uncertain conditions. Like most organism, if people can’t adapt quickly enough with their changing environments they will not succeed and likely fail out of the environmental system. However, most people also have a rigid paradigm regarding almost every aspect of their lives and are remarkably resistant to change.

Communication is an excellent way to break down barriers to change. Every team, whether it be a family team organizing a house or a work shop team organizing a factory, needs communication. So you should certainly start your communication plan by review the 6S Success Process and Procedures. The well documented standard operating procedures for over 20 steps in the 6S process will establish the foundation of your approach and provide the 6S team with a clear set of instructions and deliverables for each activity. The checklists and guidelines provided for each 6S activity will provide information on traditional decision making and problem solving approaches. Other 6S templates and forms that are provided on 6ssuccess.com will help 6S participants complete each activity with the least amount of time and effort and ensure that everyone is approaching each activity with the same focus on results.

Communication should start early if you are interested in engaging and empower each 6S participant. You should give ample preparation, both mentally and physically, to 6S participants by providing them with information on what 6S is and when you plan on facilitating the 6S event. If you have a family or household that you wish to engage and empower with 6S, you should create a brief “pitch” to let them know what 6S is, what area of the house you would like to target, and when you would like to accomplish the tasks. You may also need to clearly define that you wish for them to be involved and what specifically they can expect to be doing during this time. It makes many people less defensive when you let them know that each family member is already doing most of these activities and that you have discovered some ways to do those activities is less time and with less effort, but the family has to work together to accomplish it. If you are in an office or factory environment, you essentially need a similar approach.

In fact, in a work environment, you may want to craft an email or print out a communication piece that briefly touches on what 6S is, when it is scheduled, who will participate, why it’s important, and how it will benefit each worker and the organization. You can also touch on benefits with your family if you feel they are in to that kind of stuff or really need it. Hopefully you agree by now that communication is a key factor for success in your 6S results, so next time I will provide you with a template for working some of this information into your communication with the 6S team.