5S - The Sixth sense......

Dear All

Today is quite an important day for me as I completed a long pending 5S work @ home. By itself, doing some thing that we wanted to do for a long time gives a great relief to mind - particularly more so when it is about 5S which is one of my pet subjects.

My fond feelings on 5S started at least eight years back when I heard some thing lofty about 5S from an External Consultant who visited the office that I was employed then.... It was a French manufacturing company and Qualitative things like 5S were not a real priority during the early days of production....As teething problems on the basic organization got settled, things like 5S started to seep into the Production departments. The company used to hire an external consultant for this area who visits the company periodically to assess the status / recognition of the new initiative.

When the HR suggested me on this, I took upon 5S in Finance team quite naturally and got the entire team involved quite easily - not that I am bragging on my leading abilities - but more with my relationship with people and spontaneity. When the whole finance team succumbed to my initiatives and started off making a presence in 5S area, the external consultant visited our department just out of curiosity though there was no plan to implement 5S into Administrative teams.

Quite impressed with the presence of 5S in Finance team, he shared few words of appreciation with me....and as he parted, he made a profound statement about 5S which made a deep impact on me....."5S is not about what you do outside....Once we get involved into this initiative it cleanses our minds so much ... that we will start shuddering inside when an impurity enters within"....!! I still remember the emotion and shrill in the voice when this old man spoke this sentence straight from his heart.....

Well, I had been focusing on 5S initiatives quite consistently at work place since then - when ever there is an opportunity....really liking it from team engagement perspective more than the philosophical value. Particularly get delighted when the team that I work in gets more scores in 5S with few conscious initiatives and close monitoring of the people involved in this (normally) thank less initiative. In the context of 5S, I have observed repeatedly the power of motivated minds capable of achieving spectacular results...... You don't really have to any great miracles but few simple and sincere recognitions make miracles to happen !!

For few 5S is way of life. They take it too much to their heart and unconsciously become perfectionists leading to mental unrest not just to themselves but also to people around (my Better Half being one such hapless soul).....!! I had always preferred it to be a tool for people engagement and proof of motivation levels - nothing more and nothing less.

Coming to the special accomplishment of today at home, its just that I did a major operation of scanning thru' all my dress wares and segregated / standardized the formal wear against the casual wears - which was the need of the hour...!! Having worn uniform for close to 13 years, now I am in a different platform of needing "un" uniform for all the work days - and this was an important task as my shelves were burgeoning beyond its limits - and me totally unsure of how much I need......!! Having lost any craze for dressing completely with my "uniforming", it was more a need - sort of a scientific 5S activity that I carried out - and not so confusing !!

As my wife was staring in disbelief at the heap of dresses that I handed over to her that I might not be needing any more, I was mentally free from the sense of guilt about the abundance and under-utilisation of one of the basic needs.

Yes, unwanted and not needed things sit heavily on the heads more than where they clog up....!! Its better to get relieved, Huh ???

With lot of relief...and of course love // Suren