The Power of Visible Thinking:
Hirano’s 5 S Practices and Rational Thought

Details: To bring order to the chaos of today’s complex, global, data-driven environment, organizations need to cut through complexity with clarity. One way of achieving this is by applying Hirano’s 5 S practices for the visual workplace to the invisible workplace of rational thought.

Hirano’s 5 S practices are named for the Japanese titles of five organizing concepts that can maximize the utility of the physical work environment. The 5 Ss and a corresponding set of approximate English alternative titles are Sort (Seiri), Straighten (Seiton), Shine / Clean (Seiso), Standardize (Seiketsu), and Sustain (Shitsuke).

Using examples of how the 5 S approach to thinking is used in the workplace—and where it might have helped when it wasn't used—presenter Drew Marshall will demonstrate how this structured approach helps organizations achieve competitive advantage. Consistent, visible processes for critical thinking, when repeated and sustained across the organization, create a visible-thinking workplace where people move easily from success to success.

Takeaways: A common language for thinking in an organizaton is critical to improvement over time and longterm success. Participants in this event will gain an understanding of the 5 S's (or 5 Pillars) and how they can be applied to thinking in the the workplace to manage complexity and achieve organizational goals.

Presented by: Andrew C. Marshall, partner and global director of Operations capability Kepner-Tregoe Inc.