Do you know who said this quote? It was Bishop Jamanus in the movie King Arthur (2004). He clearly shows us that what we take granted today can be gone by tomorrow or even tonight. Change is the only certain thing in the world. Look at one year ago for example. How was the internet speed? How fast were computers? What was the price of a laptop? How about iPhone? You see, change is what makes and keeps the world improving.

Adapting to change means survival in the wild world. In business it means the same. You can't die bodily but you can die financially. The business you run today can be made obsolete but a startup by noon or the currencies value can change so much that you can't make a profit anymore if you trade or export your goods.

How can we make or embrace change in our daily lives? The first thing is to know that change is already coming to you and there is nothing you can to do avoid it. The second thing is to be always eager to change. After all who wants to live in the same world for eternity? The third thing to do is to know that change is difficult for you the same way it's difficult for your opponent so there is a chance here to take the lead whether it's in business or sports.

You see, the change rate or the speed at which things change is increasing very fast and I believe the rate is going to be faster in the near future. Today only about one in six people have internet access in the world. In the future that number can grow to one in three. This means more people competing for traffic and more people that are as smart as you or even better than you.

Which businesses niches are more prone to change? Hi-Tech of course. Hard disk space doubles every year. Processor power doubles every year and half and these laws or standards will continue for many years to come at least that's what processor manufacturers are trying to do. If you do not feel good with industry change then get out of this kind of business. On the other hand if you are inspired by change you should continue in this kind of business. It's all about your personality.

Businesses that will probably never change in your lifetime include restaurants, houses, wood, iron, steel, books, paper, rubber and things that society needs but isn't likely to change that much.

You only have one chance to make a first impression, and first impressions are important. They shape the way you are seen and all of your actions will be interpreted in the light of the basic way that people see you. If people like you, your not-so-standard habits are quirky and interesting, if they don't, the same habits seem oddball and set people whispering behind their hands. Not a great start.

Top Ten Dos and Don'ts

10 DOs

1. DO: Consider your appearance. Try to look good and fit in. Avoid overtly sexy outfits in most workplaces and try to conform to the general dress standard.
2. DO: Be on time. If that means leaving super-early because you're not sure of the travel time, make the effort and wait in a café round the corner until it's nearly your start time.
3. DO: Think about what you will say to new colleagues when you are introduced. At the very least remember to smile and make eye contact.
4. DO: Keep useful items in your bag / desk. Have enough money, including change; postage stamps, needle and thread, asprin, lozenges, and a spare box of tights. These can all be a godsend to your new colleagues when they really need something - and they'll remember you for it.
5. DO: Allow for enough time to stay at the office until you see what time people generally leave in the evening
6. DO: Look impressed by what people tell you they have done, without feeling the need to out-do them. It is a subtle form of flattery and makes people feel good about themselves, and you.
7. DO: Actively make an effort to break the ice with anyone in your area. This becomes more difficult once you have been there for a week or more, so try to speak to all of your new colleagues at least once in the first few days. Make a diagram of where everyone sits to record and memorise their names.
8. DO: Be conservative with humour. If you must tell jokes, select them with care. Avoid swearing.
9. DO: Ask for advice. You need it, and people will feel that you are acknowledging their expertise.
10. DO: Accept guidance and criticism of your initial work pieces with good grace. It's acceptable not to be an expert when you first arrive.

10 DON'Ts

1. DON'T: Gossip about colleagues or make any kind of negative comment about individuals. People in organisations know each other. They have been working together long before you arrived, and their loyalties are stronger to each other than to you. Remember that, before you tell your new colleague that you have just spoken to "this complete pratt called Martin in the commercial department".
2. DON'T: Criticise or badmouth any particular social group or characteristic - especially until you know people (much) better. Saying you hate 4x4 drivers is fairly unwise, at least until you have checked the car park. Comments about the local pub being a dive or a certain district being common are certain to reach the ears of someone who frequents them.
3. DON'T: Say the last person who was in your role must have had the brain of a whitebait because it's in such a mess - you don't know where they are now or whether you are talking to their best mate or husband
4. DON'T: Offer to help anyone do things better until you have been there a while, or tell people how you are going to do things differently until you have properly understood why they are done that way today
5. DON'T: Underestimate the importance of the support staff such as secretaries, security guards and maintenance people. There are times when their help will be worth its weight in gold.
6. DON'T: Describe how you complained about your last boss for discrimination or went to the union over unfair treatment. You may well have been entirely right to do so but, no matter how unfair this may be, it will still reflect badly on you.
7. DON'T: Expound strong political or religious views; it may be best to keep them to yourself initially, or at least moderate how you express them. Not only might you spark a discussion that is difficult to finish cordially, but once people know that you have strong views of some kind, you may find yourself drawn into debates more often than you intended.
8. DON'T: Admit to any opinions or activities that are not mainstream or that you know sometimes make people react; if you are into fox hunting, faith healing or pole dancing, you don't need to share your passion until you know your colleagues better
9. DON'T: React sharply to criticism or gentle teasing. In some work cultures people take joy in "winding you up" and if they see that they can get a reaction, they will keep on doing it.
10. DON'T: Refuse any reasonable offer to join in with social interaction such as lunch in the canteen, after work drinks or the department bowling team - even if you are dieting, don't drink and hate bowling, gaining acceptance is more important

“I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths are discovered and manners and opinions change. With the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.”

Though this was written in 1816, its message is timeless, no? It caused me to not only hold this as a measuring stick for global issues, but to take inventory of myself and see where I have been resistant to change; where I am stuck in a comfort zone. Sometimes we forget that change can be good…it can be freeing, empowering, and even fun.

Are you still trying to squeeze into “a child's coat?” Have you been “barbarous” with yourself? With your loved ones? With your business? With your world views? Where can you expand and create new laws for your life?

As Jack Welch says: “Change before you have to.” And I say: “Change is inevitable. Either accept it or effect it.”

Tom Peters, in his book Re-Imagine (2003), writes the following:

“White collar employment as we’ve know it is dead. The transformation may be ugly. And Painful. But it’s on…. with unimaginable fury! All of our organisations will be reinvented – completely – in the next 25 years. All of our careers will be re-invented – completely – in the next 25 years. All job security, as we have know it over the past three or four generations, is over. Over and gone!”

In writing these words, Tom Peters was not referring to today’s financial crisis, but these are a reflection of what is happening at this time. The current environment, however, needs to be considered in the light of the massive change and re-engineering of business practice that has taken place over the last decade, and which will continue into the future. The current financial crises adds to the change and the re-engineering of the way business and life happens, but is by no means it’s primary cause. It is simply a contributing factor.  What is clear is that business as we previously knew it, has changed tremendously, and will continue to change.

In this time of re-invention, we have to see this different world and create this new future. If we do not proactively engage with the change, and the future reality, we will be left continually playing catch-up and be blown about by the winds of change instead of riding them to success. Therefore Kaizen (“continuous improvement”) thinking, is not sufficient to get us through the challenging times we find ourselves in. In addressing the immediate challenges, as well as continuing the transformation in thinking and practice, new thinking and new practice are needed. New thinking in itself, is not enough! The complexity of the problems, the challenge of the opportunities, demand new thinking and new practice. This is because it is a new day, with new rules!

So how do we prepare ourselves and our organisations? How do we become the creators of the future instead of being the ones swept up and overwhelmed by the change taking place? What do we do to grasp the opportunities on offer? Before we can even begin to consider the practical applications of these questions, we have to believe that we can be successful, that it is possible to create the future that we want, that we can see opportunities and make the most of them. Practically, our focus also has to change to, amongst others, one of providing solutions instead of services or products, and to one of serving society and giving. They are all interrelated, affecting one another, and while these are three separate aspects, they need to considered as a whole.

Allow me to expand a little on these thoughts.

“What is it that streams can teach me about organisations? I am attracted to the diversity I see, to those swirling combinations of mud, silt, grass, water, rocks. This stream has an impressive ability to adapt, to change the configurations, to let the power shift, to create new structures. But behind this adaptability, making it all happen, I think, is the water’s need to flow. Water answers to gravity, to downhill, to the call of the ocean. The forms change, but the mission remains clear. Structures emerge, but only as temporary solutions that facilitate rather than interfere. There is none of the rigid reliance on single forms, on true answers, on past practices. Streams have more than one single response to rocks; otherwise, there’d be no Grand Canyon or Grand Canyons everywhere. The Colorado River realised there were many ways to find the ocean other than by staying broad and expansive.”

(Margaret Wheatley,2006)

In an environment that changes continuously, organisations need solutions rather than products and services. Our approach to business therefore has to change from offering a great service, or product, to offering a solution to the need (which may include our great service or product). There is no single set response to situations, and the many variables that exist in any given situation, are the substance that we work with in order to find the solution that best fits that particular situation. So our thinking has to become much more fluid and creative, and the systems and structures we create, need to be able to facilitate our delivery of the solution, rather than dictate the service or product that we offer.  These need to be able to be flexible enough to respond to the need, rather than just churn out set services or products.

Secondly, we need to operate out of a genuine desire to serve people and society. We do this by giving ourselves to people, to our businesses, to our clients. Our service is from the foundation of making sure that our clients businesses are successful. That is why it is essential to provide solutions. Solutions that make our clients more effective, more successful, solutions that serve business and society. Good business is effectively a partnership between networks of business and society. Both are essential for the existence and benefit of the other.  In today’s interconnected society, our clients are our allies, our partners, and in serving them, in giving of ourselves and our businesses to them, in making them successful, we  become successful ourselves.

In conclusion then. Can you see the opportunities? They are there! Can you identify the solutions? New thinking and new practice will help you make the most of the opportunities and assist in finding solutions. Cultivate your clients as your allies, your partners in success. Serve them and enjoy the benefits of success together.

Closing thought! Bad news is good business for the news industry. New thinking does not come from internalising bad news. New practise is dependant on new thinking. So some of the reporting needs to be taken with a pinch of salt!

Make sure that if you are on the correct road, you are not sitting still. Your new thinking should be encouraging new practice, which means there should be movement.

Leaders can create fundamental transformation in the learning cultures of schools and of the teaching professions if their focal point would be on sustainability, but who will ensure this practice to be carry on in future too? Therefore it is necessary for existing leaderships to ensure for preparing second line that will enable their stuff to proceed with the vision and mission both.

Leaders always work with a vision that foresees them towards the destiny. Undoubtedly, results aren't being seen in short term. It's take time to see and observe the change. However Culturally Change Principle/leaders observe such practices in the light of other nearby activities occur into different school system which determine not only their familiarity with the context but also ensure how to seek the best results from other contexts. This analysis helps them to seek best result and further mould accordingly

Those who are equipped to hinder a complex, rapidly changing environment can implement the Reforms that lead to sustained improvement in student's achievement

Indeed it was very difficult to draw a distinction among leader, effective leader and Culturally Change leader/principle because these three considered almost the same characteristic. Moreover the idea of culturally change leader is so much appealing in present time. A culturally change principle must

• Have deep and lasting influence on organization.
  • Concern about the bigger picture rather then relying on the tiny steps
  • Invite other people to share their ideas rather then focusing his point of view while decision making
  • Encourage people to perform challenging task
  • Concern about student's learning
  • Above all he doesn't only provide a vast spectrum but constantly reflect on the social environment, learning context, enhancement in teaching performance

Fullan narrates

“The kind of learning is designed to improve the organization and its social and moral context. Learning in context also establishes condition conducive to continual development “.

The following five essential characteristics should be in Culturally Change Principle

1. Moral Purpose
2. Understanding change
3. Improving Relationship
4. Knowledge Creation and sharing
5. Coherence Making

All are interconnected and could play a vital role in preparing a strong Culturally Change Principle. We couldn't take any of the characteristics in isolation but it's necessary that a leader must have a vision cause according to the Heary Kissinger“If you don't know where you are going every road will get you nowhere”

Hence, after having a clear vision, Culturally Change Principle will have to decide that in which field/discipline s/he wants to develop furthermore to become a person of knowledge creator and sharing'. Visionary person can make a difference but it's very important that they should get sufficient time to bring innovations and if the tenure of any principle could be increased for a longer time, such characteristic can be developed easily in those leaders in any of the school system.

Talented people are required to run the system effectively, with dedication, devotion, determination and full enthusiasm, its not only depend on the person itself how, but existing prevailing system also matter a lot to blend with the living idea.

Personal vision building

Teacher’s own conceptual and perception level about teaching which can be observed through gestures, body language and through other communication tool. It can be seen and observed by children very easily as well.

Inquiry

Inquiry is the second component of teaching that it assists the whole process of teaching and learning and also polishes personal vision; it inculcates the questioning and reasoning and foster achieving holistic image building.

Mastery

Without having mastery or command, one cannot be confident, mastery is a huge umbrella and it covers not only conceptual understanding but also proper implementation strategies i.e. pedagogical skills.

Collaboration

John Billing says “ Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well” It is necessary that teacher should be open minded and work in collaboration with other as in learning organization the phenomenon of ‘one man army’ cannot be possible. Learning is a process which required socialization, as people learn from each other.

Management

One cannot achieve the desired result if the whole process is not well planned and implemented, therefore teacher being leader and change agent would create an impact but if he is a good manager s/he would plan well, implement well and achieve well.

Indeed teachers are the nurturer and if these nurturers can envision where they would lead these children then the would definitely help support change and become agent of the change

As Americans, we need our elected officials to simply outlaw all institutional lobbyists and return back to their roots and constituents for guidance. Most people are not so blind to the problems America is currently facing. Americans in general have a great sense of what is needed and it does not involve pomp and circumstance to get the job done correctly. All that is needed is for our elected officials to give a sincere effort to work together without interaction from lobbyists and power brokers.

As for how our country got to this point, it is very simple, the elected officials under the current administration for the first four years had complete control of both houses in congress and flaunted their policies that allowed all of the major corporate greed and noncompliance with the laws of the land. Just look in the past at ENRON and other corporate disintegreation that happened during that period of time. Then look at the policies this current administration has implemented and how those policies were arrived at mostly behind closed doors. Since the current policies were never revised our country continues to go downhill very quickly as a result of that kind of noncompliance with our laws.

Why is it that our country is still catering to the people that wish to do us harm both financially and physically? Our government needs a serious wake up call to come to grips with this crisis. The corporate governance needs to be overhauled in order for the American people to again trust in our American corporations ethical behaviour.

There are some of us Americans that revile all of the closed door policies of the current administration. Why do they perform that way when most of what they do effects all of us? We people of America want to find the reasons why this administration has flaunted their power in this way. As for the congress, until 2006 under the current administration, the same political party had control of all of government and during this time the elected officials catered to the lobbyists and power brokers allowing the less than stellar governance of our major corporations. How did this happen?

Now is the time that we Americans need to voice our discontent with our elected officials and make sure they understand that America can no longer tolerate the corporate greed and injustice.

Make no mistake about it; a thorough understanding of the differences between policies and standards is oh so essential to competitive resiliency, business continuity and the development of applicable, relevant policies for you and your organization.

Standards

From a generic point-of-view, standards usually originate from without an organization.

In areas with no official standards or regulatory requirements organizations are free to choose whether or not to voluntarily adopt the various standards and/or proposed standards (this is known as opt-in). In these cases the degree of compliance can also vary considerably from one organization to the next.

Conversely external factors such as the need to comply with legislation or industry-wide recommendations may conspire to force an organization to adopt specific standards.

Whenever legislation and/or other regulations are applicable failure to comply with their provisions will ultimately result in the imposition of punitive penalties. Depending upon the breach incarceration may result.

Policies

On the other hand and in marked contrast to standards policies generally originate from within an organization. The primary objectives and basic functions distributed and/or detailed/proposed via the policy format are generally intended to deliver positive benefits whilst avoiding negative effects at least from the organization's perspective.

Think of a policy as being a statement of organizational intent with the goal of formulating a deliberate plan of action to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome(s). As such the term may apply to government, private sector organizations and groups, as wells as to individuals.

Policy-Based Decision Making

The term “policy” is also used to refer to the process of making important organizational, management, financial and administrative decisions. This includes the identification of different viable alternatives such as processes, programs, projects or spending priorities. These alternative options are considered to form a pool of possible solutions from which the final selection will come.

One area where adherence to policy has considerable impact is in the making of a selection from this pool of possible solutions particularly when many of the candidates in the range are more-or-less equal prospects. In these situations it is often the case that company policy will act as the “tie-breaker” by influencing or even dictating which option wins by clearly defining and delineating the criteria for selection in each instance.

So it is; that generically speaking, company policy aims to facilitate the rapid attainment of specifically defined explicit goals while preserving organization-wide consistency.

Policy Compliance

Compliance with corporate policy is generally not negotiable and the individual at fault will generally experience some form of penalty. The type of penalty will vary from one organization to the next. The ultimate penalty for non-compliance with organizational policies would be termination of employment.

Policy Goals, Objectives and Targets

The possibilities here are endless so to provide a “big picture” view of policies I will make special note of a couple below. Some of the reasons for developing a policy include:

Exploitation - Policies may created to improve an organization's capacity to exploit the positive benefits (from their perspective) of any given scenario or situation as identified by that organization

Mission Statement - Regardless of the type of policy being implemented a clearly defined policy mission (mission statement) is always instrumental in maximizing a policy's capacity to perform and attain its goals.

Privacy - Privacy policies such as corporate privacy policies are widely used today and will generally include information pertaining to their collection, storage, updating, notification, security and eventual secure disposal.

Distribution Policies - Distribution Policies regulating the distribution and sharing of resources within the organization are another common type of policy to be found around the globe in a multiplicity of guises.

Security - Never forget the many elements of security. Policies will need to be developed and implemented concerning personal well-being, intruders, hackers, accidents, down-time etc.

Monitoring - Monitoring and evaluating the current policy status in order to determine whether or not your policy initiatives have/are effective is critical to the success of your overall plan. You can also learn a lot about what to do and where change will have the most beneficial effects at the best dollar/benefit. Policy adherence issues must be dealt with in real-time as and where they arise.

Policy Management

Adopting a life-cycle approach to business policy management has the advantage of ensuring that all business policy can proactively adapt rapidly in concert with the prevailing yet ever changing business, political, social and regulatory climates now and well into the future. One example of a widely accepted business policy management life-cycle is the Bridgeman/Davis Policy Life Cycle depicted below.

Policy Documentation

One fundamental aspect of policy and policy development that may be overlooked is the task of adequately and appropriately documenting the policy. This is true whether it be an organization specific policy, an opt-in standards-based policy or a regulatory required standards-based policy. Elements that must be included with all documentary policy statements include:

Policy Purpose Statement - Why the policy is being implemented & what it is supposed to achieve

Policy Scope Statement - Who and what the policy affects as well as any express exclusions relating to specific individuals, organizations and/or actions

Policy Time Statement - When the policy takes effect, its intended period of tenure and when it is scheduled for updating and/or termination

Policy Responsibilities and Obligations Statement - identification of who is responsible for what along with clear and unambiguous identification of governance structures

Policy Effect Statements - The specific organizational standards, regulations, requirements, modifications and/or behaviors that the policy is intended to address or create

Policy Change and Change Management Statement - The formal declaration of accepted process and procedure for the instigation of change to or of policy

Policy Background Statement - The origins, reasoning, motivation, and historical perspective for creating the policy in the first place. Any underlying, extenuating or extrapolated process will be clearly identified and stated here.

Policy Milestone Statement - Clearly defined and listed stages at which the policy is deemed to have progressed throughout its life-cycle. Many milestones will therefore be used for the purpose of providing management with the metrics by which they can determine the progress of the development or current life-cycle status of the policy. Milestones will also feature prominently in policy sign-off statements and the policy sign-off pages or policy sign-off documentation (if separate to the remainder of policy documentation).

Policy Definitions and Terminology Statement - Clear and unambiguous definition and explanation of the terminology, concepts, methodologies and processes contained within the policy

Policy Life-Cycle Statement - Detailed presentation of the specific policy life-cycle model applicable to the policy. Clear and unambiguous statement of all terms conditions and processes applicable to the policy during each and every stage of its life-cycle and development.

Policy Sign-Off Statement - Provision for formal signature sign-off as the policy progresses through each of its life-cycle stages. Some of the milestone points where authoritative sign-off will be required will include initiation, identification, design, drafting, revision, re-evaluation, approvals, implementation, maintenance, continuing review redevelopment, redrafting and change implementation and eventual replacement and/or decommissioning.

Policy Milestone Sign-Off Page Statement - Provision of a formal sign-off page(s) intended for use as that section of the policy document where the required signatories must formally apply their signature to indicate currency and formal acceptance.

First you must focus on your boss. Your career depends on your immediate boss. If your manager does not like you for some reason, you should try to know why. If it's personal or if you can find some other matter. Try to perceive the stability of your manager in your company. If he/she possesses strong position and you do not perceive her transfer etc then try to move within your company by the mean of "job rotation". If it doesn't work, then what should you do?

Then no doubt, you must start looking for some other job. If you get a job with salary almost 50% extra of your current salary and some other benefits also then do not hesitate in switching your job. If you switch your job within one year then do not bother about notice period also.

Just resign and leave the firm. As soon as you will join your new company, the more you will be paid per day. Those firms who do not care for an employee's emotions do not deserve hardworking employees at low rate at all. After a year one must see the achievements, If you get promotion and increment then you must stay or else do not give up your coming year for the sake of no increment etc.

However, before that you must analyze where you stand, you must know your drawbacks also. You must put yourself in your employer's place and must think on the increment of such employee who stands in your place. What would you think if you were in your manager's place, and would have to approved your subordinates increment?

Beginning in the Toyota plants of the 1960's, lean, or the Toyota Production System as it is also known, became their standardized working practice and a way of producing high quality vehicles delivered exactly when the customer demanded and at lower costs than their competitors. Such were the effects of the “Toyota way,” that organization's around the world, and from many areas of public and private sectors, began imitating their methods. One of the latest sectors to take on board the lean approach to drive improvements and change is healthcare where hospitals and family surgeries are learning the benefits of focusing on adding value with each activity.

Unfortunately many of these businesses, and usually at the suggestion of expensive consultants, begin their “lean journeys” without first laying down a necessary platform for improvement and growth. Jumping ahead to the more challenging and exciting aspects of value-stream mapping and problem solving, they miss the many aspects of lean that are vital in ensuring the long-term sustainability of the change effort and that the changes made will ingrain themselves in the very culture of the organization.

The Kaizen approach to Improvement

At the heart of the Toyota Production Method is the Japanese concept of Kaizen, which is often translated as continual improvement. The word itself is made up of two “kanji,” or Chinese, characters; the first, “Kai,” meaning “an ongoing change” and the second, “Zen,” meaning “for the better.” Hence a deeper understanding of the words meaning would be “continually changing for that which is better.”

Masaaki Imai, founder of the international consultancy practice, The Kaizen Institute, referred to Kaizen as the “the key to Japan's competitive success.” Central to this approach is the reliance on teams to drive operational improvements and change. Within a Kaizen/lean members staff at all levels are positively encouraged to offer improvement suggestions on a regular basis. These changes, if found to be feasible by management, are fully implemented bringing about a greater sense of ownership and a sense of belonging for the individual or department concerned whilst creating an atmosphere of entrepreneurial creativity.

The Japanese are by nature drawn to the group rather than the individual. It is a country that very much likes conformity and finds much reassurance in the security it brings. This is in direct opposition to the western view of individualism, where the preference is for uniqueness and being your own person. Due to these cultural differences, whilst the Japanese concentrated on forming harmonious groups within the organization, we in the western hemisphere looked at ways to stamp our own marks on projects and developed management theories more focused on top down control than horizontal integration.

One technique in the Kaizen toolbox, and the one most often misunderstood in the west, is 5S. The focus of this technique is to remove waste, or unnecessary items of stock and movement, in the workplace and by doing so, make these areas of activity more effective, productive and comfortable in which to work. Unfortunately many companies view this method as a simple tidying up exercise, and as such omit its implementation altogether, missing the full benefit it can offer us in laying down that all important platform for improvement. It is with this last thought in mind that this article will discuss.

The benefits of a 5S Kaizen approach

5S Kaizen integrates the workplace reconfiguration aspects of 5S with the other improvement tools associated with the Kaizen method in a very seamless fashion. 5S stands for 5 Japanese words that can be translated into English as:

1. Sort.
2. Straighten.
3. Shine.
4. Standardize.
5. Sustain.

The 5S method brings us a sequential approach to reorganization that involves all members of the department or area under review. As mentioned above the main focus is to remove waste from our working environments and as such fits seamlessly with the other tools and techniques that have been clustered under the umbrella of the Kaizen method, tools and techniques such as poke-yoke, kanban, hoshin kanri and pull systems.

Research conducted in Hong Kong in 2002 found that implementing a more integrated 5S program, 5S Kaizen, raises quality, efficiency and productivity levels, whilst lowering associated costs. Not only that, but workplace safety and staff morale also improved considerably. Producing clean and airy environments in which to work has also shown to improve concentration levels and lowers the causes of work related stress.

Another study conducted in the UK this year (2007) also agreed with the Hong Kong findings. A number of companies who had implemented 5S Kaizen wrote of the benefits it offered with one respondent in particular writing that, though being very skeptical to begin with, on seeing the results and the improvements made, became a staunch convert. A statement given by many who experience the transformational changes this approach can bring.

In short then 5S Kaizen offers us an integrated approach to Kaizen implementation. Using the 5S model as the basis, 5S Kaizen helps us achieve rapid improvements whilst installing a way of working that will stand the test of time and root itself in our organizational culture.

Implementing 5S Kaizen

Implementing this method follows the same steps as those listed above; Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize and Sustain. However besides focusing on only the housekeeping aspects of each stage, 5S Kaizen uses this opportunity to introduce other tools and techniques to improve the quality of the exercise and to enhance the potential benefits it offers.

To begin with, a team containing members of staff at all levels should be drawn up who will essentially lead the program through its five stages. This team should not only contain those members from the area under review but also others from above and below them in the supply chain in order to bring a fresh pair of eyes to the project. We can all get caught up in old ways of working, so much so that we are unable to “see the wood from the trees” - or in our case the waste from the value - and that is why others need to be included in the change to bring a new point of view on matters.

This team will then allocate space for holding "red tagged" items. These items are those whose existence within our immediate environment has been called into question. The name red-tag comes from the color of the ticket, or tag, that was placed upon them so as to make identification instant and highly visible. After such a space has been set aside, then the job of tagging and removing unused, broken and unnecessary equipment begins.

As this stage focuses primarily on removing waste it may be worthwhile to introduce you to the types of waste, or “muda” as it is called in Japan, we should watch out for during our exercise. A name that has become synonymous with waste removal is that of Taiichi Ohno. This man, who worked for Toyota and who is accredited with developing the Toyota Production System, identified seven types of waste. This is by no means a complete list, even Ohno-san acknowledged there were others, and you too may find more as you progress in your understanding of lean and kaizen, but for now this is the list than has gone down in lean history:

• Overproduction.
• Excessive Movement.
• Over processing/handling.
• The waste of waiting.
• Excessive transportation.
• Repairs/rejects.
• Excessive inventory.

After removal, these items are stored for an agreed period of time to determine if they are indeed unnecessary and the level of their usage. Obviously broken equipment is not stored but thrown out immediately and items belonging to others are returned to their rightful owners.

Another tip to keep in mind when sorting the waste is the “one is best rule.” This rule means that all replicated items are to be removed to their correct locations. Hence we leave one set of pens (if different colors are needed), one set of tools and one jotter on which to write. Doing so helps to keep the workplace clean and waste free.

Straightening the Flow

Once the red tagging has been completed, or is about to be finished, the team then moves on to the job of redesigning the workplace. Obviously large machinery will stay put, unless there is a strong reason for it to be moved, but for everything else, desks, chairs, filing cabinets, storage cupboards, etc. can be moved as best suites the environment.

Often, and over many years, items appear and their positions determined as need dictates. If there is a space spare that's were it goes with little thought given to the flow of work and whether the location of the new piece of equipment or furniture will hinder or ease the movement of work units throughout the department. Therefore we find in old established departments, a lot of work moving back and forth, retracing their steps on many occasions and hindering the overall flow of work and hindering the departments efficiency and productivity. Straighten is therefore the re-engineering stage of 5S Kaizen, where the items removed in the previous step cannot be returned until their location has been clearly identified.

Another aspect of Straighten is the re-engineering of processes and the redesigning of job functions to improve quality. Simplifying processes by removing wasteful activities helps overall improvement. Locating needed items within arms length of the operative and implementing the “30 second rule” - every item of equipment or piece of work can be retrieved in just 30 seconds - helps to keep the worker focused on the job at hand by lessening distractions.

The main function of Straighten is to implement improvement at an operational level and any ideas from those doing the work on a day-to-day basis should be sort. One central thought in Kaizen is that the “experts” are those who do the job and are the best qualified to offer suggestions. As Konosuke Matsushita said once, “Many little brains are better than a few big brains.”

Making Quality Shine

However, improving the work area to enhance efficiency is of nothing if the machinery and tools we use are damaged and in need of repair. I'm typing this now on a laptop and whilst I am nothing like my sister, who is a qualified PA, when it comes to words per minute, how less productive would my typing become if my keyboard was always sticking or my computer always crashed? That is the object of Shine, to clean, repair and maintain a spotless environment where every item is keep in optimal working condition and to make sure that it remains so.

More than any other step, it is probably this one that gets 5S the reputation of a cleaning exercise. However when we understand the reason behind the need for cleanliness we realize its relevance to TQM, or more appropriately TPM, (Total Productive Maintenance). By implementing Shine it becomes easier to spot the telltale signs that show us our equipment is in need of attention. Machinery leaking oil can go unnoticed if the floor or the machine is already covered in the stuff.

Over time what might have been a simple maintenance job if caught earlier, now becomes very expensive and may include having to replace the machine altogether. However on a spotlessly clean and shining floor, one drop of oil would be instantly noticeable allowing maintenance teams to remedy the problem immediately; and if the floor is already black - paint the area under these machines another color.

Making it the Standard

Now we should have a clean, orderly and efficient working environment. Whether we work in an office or on the factory floor, we can be pleased and have benefited from the reorganizing and cleaning performed in the previous three exercises. However this is the 5S method not 3S and next we move on to the fourth step - Standardize.

Standardize, as its name suggests, involves keeping sure that the new way of working is the one way of working. In companies that operate shift systems, confusion and thus errors can occur because different people work in different ways. One person likes to keep certain items over here, the next person, over there, and so on. Standardize puts pay to all that and through the use of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's) ensures that the same procedures are followed in the same way and in the same order by all.

In it For Keeps

Finally we come to the most difficult stage in a 5S Kaizen program and it could be said the one with no end. Sustain is about ingraining the 5S Kaizen way into the very culture of our organization. Unless this happens then often old ways of working resurface, the place becomes gradually more cluttered and we all agree, “This approach just doesn't work in our environment.”

To counter this reoccurring problem, many companies introduce suggestion systems where at any time a member of staff can post an improvement suggestion to their managers with those that prove viable getting implemented and becoming part of the standardized working practice. Suggestion systems are also good for raising staff morale as employers feel their ideas are valued and that they belong and identify more with the company.

Whereas the first three steps, Sort, Straighten and Shine are very much workforce led, and Standardize, the managers, Sustain is very much an executive led stage in that only by their direction can such a program produce long term gains. Unless this is so, we will only receive very superficial and short-lived results for our efforts. Executives must be behind this effort and communicate clearly that others are empowered to follow this way and make the required changes where fit.

Biography

Andrew Scotchmer is a British writer and consultant recently acknowledged as a “renowned lean expert” by the American Society for Quality. His writings on Kaizen, change management and general management theory have been published and enjoyed in several countries including the UK, USA, South Africa and India, appearing in both paper and digital formats. Next year will see the publication of his book 5S Kaizen in 90 Minutes by Management Books 2000 Ltd. Andrew is also a sort after “charismatic and influential speaker” at business events and can be contacted on andrew@completekaizen.co.uk.