MARCH 2019
www.the5sstore.com 978-842-4610
STOP CHASING 5S SQUIRRELS
FINDING FOCUS IN A FAST-MOVING WORLD As spring approaches, I look forward to baseball season. Any other fans out there? Growing up, baseball was my everything. I played peewee all the way into high school and participated in a ton of leagues, loving every second of it. Today, I’ve settled into my role as a spectator. I’ve even gotten Barbara into it.We jumped up out of our seats watching the Red Sox win the World Series last year. It’s hard not to go into this season with high expectations after that! I’ve noticed fewer kids are into baseball these days, and the sport is losing viewers. It’s a slower game than basketball or football, and it takes a different kind of spectatorship to appreciate it. In today’s world, there are so many distractions, and we look for something fast-paced to hold our attention. It reminds me of Lilly. She’s totally focused on one thing until the second she sees something else, like her toy shark or a squirrel. Then boom — her attention is diverted. It’s also similar to what I see happen with 5S. Folks implement it well only to forget the last principle: sustain. A common hiccup I see is that a lot of companies get stuck choosing the same people to audit one area. In addition to the job getting boring and routine for that person, it becomes ineffective. If you’re always looking at the same thing, you stop truly seeing it. You don’t catch all the issues, and you don’t notice things out of place. Essentially, you put a new sign up and don’t see it anymore.
board. Typically, this is a whiteboard that displays pictures of each team member and has a spot for 5S audit scores. You might include before- and-after pictures of spaces where you’ve used 5S to give visual proof of its power. I’ve seen companies with virtual communication systems use screens in the lunchroom or other common areas to share 5S wins and updates. Making your 5S efforts public and shareable builds accountability within the entire company. I’m always happy to discuss ideas for how to sustain, so don’t hesitate to reach out. Inside this newsletter, you can hear how life-changing 5S has been for one of our customers, John, and learn more about custom shadow boards from our resident expert, Louanne. I look forward to hearing how you sustain this month after trying some of these strategies. If you start any incentive programs, I’d love to know about them! Your victories are ours, too.
What’s the solution? Mix up your 5S team. Change whose eyes are covering each area. This helps with the distraction factor and builds momentum for new ideas to make 5S sustainable. Empower your staff to get creative with keeping 5S top of mind and encourage input from team members. Contests can be useful motivators for sustaining 5S. If your team reaches a certain goal — let’s say they rock five audits in a row— throw them a lunchtime pizza party or give out Starbucks gift cards. Incentives are a great way of celebrating success. If your team doesn’t feel that their hard work is being rewarded or even recognized, what motivates them to continue putting in the effort? It also goes back to awareness. If you make 5S a focus for everyone, including yourself, it’s going to become a priority. But if you’re always the one giving an update about 5S at weekly meetings, switch it up and ask a team member if they’d like to present that portion. In addition to having 5S on the agenda at every staff meeting, another major tool to keep it relevant is to implement a communication
Until next time,
David Visco
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‘THE OBSTACLE IS THE WAY’
STOICISM AND SUCCESS IN THE MODERN ERA
you do,” which removes factors of luck and talent from the equation. To Holiday, persistence trumps everything else. Those looking for feel-good quotes or self- affirming platitudes should probably skip this book. But for those who are serious about reaching their personal or professional goals and are willing to put in the work, “The Obstacle” is just the kind of kick in the pants you’ve been looking for.
Would you rather read an inspirational book favored by some of the biggest stars in the NFL, or a strategy guide found on the nightstands of some of the world’s most powerful political figures? Well, thanks to Ryan Holiday’s latest work, you don’t have to choose. “The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph” has been championed by leaders in almost every field, from musicians to governors. To understand why this work is winning such high praise, you first have to understand the man who wrote it.
The book gets its name from a modern rephrasing of a Marcus Aurelius quote. The philosopher turned Roman emperor once said, “What stands in the way becomes the way.” From this principle, and the foundational tenets for stoicism developed by the ancient Greeks, Holiday presents a no-nonsense approach to problem-solving that is as old as time. Packed with examples ranging from American Civil War generals to Amelia Earhart, “The Obstacle” paints a clear, compelling picture of what this ancient philosophy has to offer the leaders of the future. The book has a hardline stance: “It doesn’t matter what happens to you. It matters what
In classic entrepreneurial fashion, Holiday dropped out of college when he was just 19 years old, choosing instead to get his education under the direct mentorship of author and strategist Robert Greene. Eventually, his focus on media manipulation and human nature would land him at the top of the American Apparel marketing team. Now the head of his own strategy firm, Brass Check, Holiday and his team have advised major brands like Google and Taser. “The Obstacle Is the Way” represents a distillation of Holiday’s personal philosophy for success.
LOUANNE SHARES HER PASSION FOR 5S
color-coded and match the shadow boards they hang on,” Louanne says. Another question Louanne frequently comes across is what it costs to make changes to custom orders. At the 5S Store, there’s no additional cost to make changes through the proofing process. There’s also no additional cost to add your company logo to a custom board. It truly is tailored to you. To get started with your custom shadow board, email our team at custom@the5sstore.com. Louanne and our team will be happy to get you a quote and help you create exactly what you need — even if you’re not sure what that is yet. As Louanne says, “At the end of the day, it’s about making the customer happy.”
A self-described “5S geek,” our team member Louanne embraces her role helping 5S newbies and veterans alike fulfill and customize their 5S needs. Her passion for 5S is apparent as she walks folks every step of the way, from fielding “can you help?” phone calls to providing color suggestions and material options for custom boards. “From inquiry all the way to the fulfillment of their order, by email or phone, I’m here to help with every step and answer whatever questions people have,” Louanne says.
It’s several things, Louanne points out. “The main one is organization,” she explains. “When the boards are used correctly, everyone puts tools back, and the next person knows exactly where they need to go. You save a lot of time not searching for tools. From a safety standpoint, they’re also very helpful. There’s no longer a mop lying around that someone could trip over.” Something else that makes 5S shadow boards helpful is that we sell the cleaning tools that go with them. “We have a huge array. They’re
She understands that 5S can be intimidating for those who’ve never
implemented it before. At the same time, she has no problem talking shop with other 5S veterans. “The John Castros of the world know exactly what they’re looking for,” Louanne says in regard to our knowledgeable customer base, and she’s able to help them create it. (Read more about John on the next page.) What makes customized tool boards such valuable assets in a manufacturing setting?
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LILLY’SWAREHOUSE
JOHN’S 5S TRANSFORMATION John HOWWE MAKE 5S EASY FOR OUR CUSTOMERS Louanne
ROMANCE IS IN THE HAIR
Wow, do I have some news for you! So you remember last month how I put myself out there on Tinder? Well, I got a response ... and he’s a cat.
His name is Kingston, and he is sassy as all get out. I’m still not sure about him, to be honest. He has that mysterious air that’s kind of attractive, but he’s also taking all of David’s attention away from me, and that’s not cool, folks. Not. Cool.
I’ll keep you posted when I’m back to share more next month. For now, wish me luck as Kingston hacks up a hairball. TBD on whether or not this is the romance of 2019.
As the manufacturing training coordinator for Advanced Composites, John oversees many aspects of operations aimed at improving efficiencies and making things easier for the entire team.When he took on the goal of organizing their plant, he looked for resources to make it possible. “This is where 5S came into play,” John explains. John was new to 5S, but fortunately, he found someone who wasn’t. “I started working with Louanne from The 5S Store, and she walked me through it,” John says. “She made it so easy for me to learn the process of 5S. She helped me create custom tool boards, tool stations, and cleaning boards.We worked together to design the boards, and I got exactly what I was looking for. It was just so easy.” With the support of his coworker Shawn, who was familiar with 5S, John jump-started the plant’s organizational system. John found that being able to get the customized shadow boards and color- coded cleaning tools from one store was a winning combination. “Not only do they help you design what you need; they sell the tools for it,” he says. Thanks to the help of Louanne and the team at The 5S Store,John’s goal to organize his plant and get everyone on board was successful.“Our team took off with it really quickly,” John says of implementing 5S.Not only that,but with the right 5S tools in place,they’ve been able to sustain their efforts.“The color-coded tool boards make it so much easier,” John says.“If someone sees a mop lying around,they know exactly where it should go.Before,we were unorganized to the point where tools were getting lost and never brought back. Now,our teamhelps one another out. If they see something out of place,they bring it back to where it goes.Everything has its place.”
EVERYTHING POPCORN
INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS
• 3/4 cup popcorn kernels • 2 tablespoons flaky sea salt • 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds • 2 teaspoons white sesame seeds • 2 teaspoons granulated garlic • 2 teaspoons granulated onion • 1/3 cup canola oil • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1. In a small skillet over
medium heat, toast sesame seeds. Shake skillet often and cook until white seeds are golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and add garlic, onion, and salt.
John sums it up best by saying, “I can’t say enough great things about The 5S Store.” Thank you for sharing your experience, John! It’s great to hear that we’ve made 5S easy!
2. In a large saucepan, combine popcorn kernels and oil. Cook
over medium-high heat, covered, until popcorn kernels start to pop. Once popping, continue cooking and shaking the pan intermittently until popping ceases, about 3–5 minutes. 3. Transfer popcorn to a large mixing bowl. Pour in butter and toss to coat. Finally, add seasoning, toss again, and serve.
Inspired by Food & Wine magazine
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1 | Tips on How to Sustain 2 | ‘The Obstacle Is the Way’ Your Expert for Custom-Fit Shadow Boards 3 | We Make 5S Easy Lilly’s Warehouse Everything Popcorn 4 | The Curious Case of the Disappearing Flags
AN INSIDE JOB
Determined to find out who was to blame, police put up surveillance cameras and recorded the goings-on in the cemetery. As they watched the tapes, sure enough, they saw one of the culprits sitting atop a gravestone with an empty flagpole in front of him. It was a groundhog. Apparently, the wooden flagpoles attracted groundhogs, something other groundskeepers had experienced as well. “I’m glad we don’t have someone who has taken it upon themselves to desecrate the stones and flags in front of them,” said Hudson mayor Bill Hallenbeck. “We can all rest a little easier knowing that it was a
THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE DISAPPEARING FLAGS
Like the year before, flags were placed on veterans’ graves in honor of Independence Day and again, they went missing in the
Theft is a serious matter, made even more grave when the victims are fallen war heroes. Such was the situation that stumped police in Hudson, New York, in 2012. The crime had first been committed in July of the previous year. Flags were placed around the graves of soldiers in Cedar Park Cemetery only to go missing right around Independence Day. Veterans groups and locals were outraged and mystified by the crime. Some worried that a hate group was underfoot, as the missing flags had adorned the graves of Jewish soldiers. Veterans worked to replace the flags, one by one, and right the wrong. No culprit was found, and the community moved on — until the following July, when the mystery repeated itself.
night, this time from the graves of African American Civil War soldiers. Cemetery caretaker and veteran Vincent
critter and not a human defacing our flags, especially
Wallace was appalled, as was the rest of his community.
those of the veterans,” added Hudson’s police commissioner. Turns out Punxsutawney Phil has some very naughty cousins — ones who aren’t subject to the law.
“I just can’t comprehend the mindset that would allow someone to do this,” Wallace said.
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