I recently conducted a root cause analysis, using the 5 Whys, to identify some 5S opportunities in my living room.
1. Sort
Toys - we use our living room as a play area in the evening. My son just had a birthday, so we have a lot of new toys added to the collection as well. Sometimes the number of toys and puzzles is overwhelming and he can not focus on one game. What can we do to limit the toys?
A. Designate one weekend a month for donations. Pick a toy or game to donate, especially as they grow out of them.
B. pack toys away for specific occasions. Example: paint set that you get out on rainy days; ball and bat set that you take to the park;
C. Rotate toys in and out on a weekly or monthly basis (example: this week is trains, next week is shapes)
D. Create seasonal boxes that you open every 2-3 months. They can include seasonal books, toys and decorations. Before you open the new box, pack away last "seasons" items. This month I opened a Spring box, with Easter and St. Patrick's day decorations. It also had books about baby animals and duck toys, as well as plastic eggs. Now we can start practicing Easter egg hunts (which rarely gets old).
Furniture - it is a good idea to re-evaluate your room layout at least once a year. Change sometimes gives a fresh look and perspective.
Pillows are good for accessorizing, but think about how many blankets and pillows you really need in the room.
Decorations- this is obviously about personal style, but I have been trying a new seasonal approach to decorating and displaying items in the house. I have a lot of keepsake type decorations that I am not ready to get rid of, but can not be displayed at once. It is common to have several boxes of Christmas decorations, so why not seasonal boxes for the rest of the year?
Books- this is a hard one for me. We have a lot of books. Actually, I do not read as much anymore and my husband has an ereader, but we still have amassed a collection of favorite books over the years. Some of them are leadership books that I like to revisit every couple years. Some of them are technical books, that we may have used for reference early in our careers. Some of them are favorite fiction, that I want to share with our kids someday.
If you do not think you will reference or read a book again, get rid of it. There are many used bookstores that give you credit for used books. Remember, the library and the Internet are always available for reference in the future.
If you want to save books for the future, be realistic about quantity. Keep only your absolute favorites. The library will be available if you want to share the Narnia series someday.
As I sorted through our books, I also made the pledge to read more. There are several inspirational and fiction books that I keep meaning to read.
2. Scrub
Once you have mantels and bookshelves cleared, it is easier to clean and dust. Start at the top with dusting and wiping, then vacuum. Make sure to get under cushions and furniture as well. Who knows what else you will find under there.
Start the next steps when everything smells fresh and clean.
3. Set
I have been working on a vision for what I want my living room to look. It is the main room where we spend family time, so it needs to be functional, but I would also like it to be a calming sanctuary. Part of the calming effect should come from eliminating clutter, so I need to ensure that everything has a place and that it gets back in place regularly.
You can use shelves and entertainment centers for common items. Baskets or decorative boxes also work well. Try to limit what you keep in the room to items used daily. Non frequent items should be put into the closet or play room. See my idea above about rotating toys into the living room. Only one box at a time.
I found some good ideas for arranging a bookcase (to stylishly display books, photos and keepsakes) here: http://www.sasinteriors.net/2012/02/how-to-achieve-a-well-styled-bookcase/
4. Standardize
What visuals can you put in place to help family members remember where to put things back. Labels, either with words or pictures, work well. Remotes are a good option to have color coded or in a specific basket.
The living room is also an ideal place for aesthetic visuals. If it is truly to be a family sanctuary and/or a place to entertain, it should have a color scheme and visuals that make you happy and relaxed. Display pillows and throws that support your color scheme. Otherwise put them in a basket or closet. Arrange the shelves by color or only display complimentary colors to your theme (see some of the ideas in the bookcase style link above).
I am still working on this, since I have a hard time focusing on details outside the functional.
5. Sustain
Since the living room is used daily, it should be picked up daily. Make it a habit of putting things away before going to be bed. It should be part of everyone's bedtime routine.
Weekly - dust shelves and vacuum/swiffer floors. (Remember, the less clutter you have, the easier this will be).
Monthly - vacuum couches, dust/wash blankets & pillows.
Quarterly - consider rotation of decorations/toys. Could be more frequent.
One last reminder, there is not enough space for things in the house you do not use, so Use it or Lose it.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Root Cause - 5 Whys of cluttered room
The idea of Root Cause Analysis is to drive to the root causes of your problems, so you can address and eliminate the sources, rather than bandaid symptoms of your problem. It's like getting rid of weeds...you have to get the roots out or the weed will grow back.
There are different methods/tools of root cause analysis, but my favorite is the 5 Whys.
The process always starts with a problem statement. The more specific the problem statement, the better.
Problem Statement example: The Living room is cluttered.
Then you ask "Why?" And list out potential reasons.
Why is the living room cluttered?
1. There is too much stuff in the room.
2. There is not enough space in the room.
3. There are items that do not belong in the room.
4. No one picks up anything in the room.
After creating a sufficient list, you break each of those reasons down even further by asking "Why?"
This process is repeated for at least 5 levels of "Why?" Or until you have listed your answers to a root cause.
You then review the potential root causes and test or validate if they are true or not. Once you confirm your main root causes, you put an action plan in place to eliminate or address those root causes.
Ideally, this process is done in a group so you get a variety of ideas and inputs. Doesn't it sound like a fun family activity?
Here is my attempt to flesh out my clutter problem:
Problem Statement example: The Living room is cluttered.
Why is the living room cluttered?
1. There is too much stuff in the room.
2. There is not enough space in the room.
3. There are items that do not belong in the room.
4. No one picks up anything in the room.
1. Why is there too much stuff in the room?
1a. We have too many toys.
1b. We have too many pictures.
1c. We have too many knick knacks
1d. We have too many books.
1aa. The root cause of most of these is that we are emotionally attached and we are afraid we need them someday.
2. Why is there not enough room?
2a. The house is too small.
2b. There is too much furniture in the room.
Neither of these is a viable root cause, at this time.
3. Why are there items that do not belong?
3a. Family members do not put things away.
3b. It is not clear what belongs in the room.
3c. There is extra storage space in the bookshelf.
3a. Why are Family Members not putting things away?
3aa. They do not know where they go?
3ab. They do not care about the clutter.
3ac. They do not understand the consequence of leaving things out.
3aa. Why do they not know where things go?
3aaa. There is not a designated location.
3aab. The items are not needed (extraneous).
3aac. The designated location is not marked.
3aad. The designated location is not logical to everyone.
In this example, I only got through 4 whys and have highlighted some key root causes for clutter in the living room. Based on this exercise, I can develop an action plan to work with my family to 5S the room.
There are different methods/tools of root cause analysis, but my favorite is the 5 Whys.
The process always starts with a problem statement. The more specific the problem statement, the better.
Problem Statement example: The Living room is cluttered.
Then you ask "Why?" And list out potential reasons.
Why is the living room cluttered?
1. There is too much stuff in the room.
2. There is not enough space in the room.
3. There are items that do not belong in the room.
4. No one picks up anything in the room.
After creating a sufficient list, you break each of those reasons down even further by asking "Why?"
This process is repeated for at least 5 levels of "Why?" Or until you have listed your answers to a root cause.
You then review the potential root causes and test or validate if they are true or not. Once you confirm your main root causes, you put an action plan in place to eliminate or address those root causes.
Ideally, this process is done in a group so you get a variety of ideas and inputs. Doesn't it sound like a fun family activity?
Here is my attempt to flesh out my clutter problem:
Problem Statement example: The Living room is cluttered.
Why is the living room cluttered?
1. There is too much stuff in the room.
2. There is not enough space in the room.
3. There are items that do not belong in the room.
4. No one picks up anything in the room.
1. Why is there too much stuff in the room?
1a. We have too many toys.
1b. We have too many pictures.
1c. We have too many knick knacks
1d. We have too many books.
1aa. The root cause of most of these is that we are emotionally attached and we are afraid we need them someday.
2. Why is there not enough room?
2a. The house is too small.
2b. There is too much furniture in the room.
Neither of these is a viable root cause, at this time.
3. Why are there items that do not belong?
3a. Family members do not put things away.
3b. It is not clear what belongs in the room.
3c. There is extra storage space in the bookshelf.
3a. Why are Family Members not putting things away?
3aa. They do not know where they go?
3ab. They do not care about the clutter.
3ac. They do not understand the consequence of leaving things out.
3aa. Why do they not know where things go?
3aaa. There is not a designated location.
3aab. The items are not needed (extraneous).
3aac. The designated location is not marked.
3aad. The designated location is not logical to everyone.
In this example, I only got through 4 whys and have highlighted some key root causes for clutter in the living room. Based on this exercise, I can develop an action plan to work with my family to 5S the room.
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