Strategic Planning Quote

If you do not know where you are going, you will end up someplace else
        -Yogi Berra

How to promote team identity

Use inclusive pronouns, such as "we," "us," and "our," to show that you identify with the team.

Refer often to team goals and mutual interests.

Don’t interrupt members who have less power than you.

Ask members to rephrase statements you don’t understand instead of putting them down.

How to keep Virtual Teams Focused

Don’t establish virtual teams until you’ve proven that you can successfully manage conventional ones.

Bring the team together—physically, in real time—at least at the beginning of the assignment.

Make doubly and triply sure that you’ve established clear objectives and procedures for the team—you don’t have the luxury of running into team members during the course of the day to clarify issues.

Megacommunicate—contact virtual team members every day.

If some team members work on more than one team at a time, forge alliances with their other managers.

Be extremely alert to potential conflicts when you check the team’s e-mail archive and when having telephone conversations with team members.

Additional reasons to implement 5S in your office

A lot of people ask about why they should implement 5S in their offices if 5s is a concept that was developed in the manufacturing environment.

In addition to all the benefits that we have already mentioned in this blog, I will list some other considerations that you might want to take in to account when trying to decide whether or not you should apply 5s to your office:

You can't work to the best of your abilities when your office is a disorganized mess.
Your workspace is a visual representation of what kind of person you are; that's how your clients and supervisors see it.
Out-of-control office clutter costs money in time, effort, late fees and lost business.

Most people excuse their messy offices by saying they don’t have time to clean. But dealing with the consequences of a chaotic workspace takes far more time than simply cleaning. If a clean office increases your productivity by only 20%, that can convert into approximately $40,000 to $50,000 in value over the next 10 years. A clean office also pays off in reduced stress and anguish.


Office clutter is intimidating, frustrating and time wasting. Your workspace represents you to your clients, superiors and co-workers. It reflects your personality and work habits. What do you want your work area to say about you? (Or do you just want it to be quiet?)

When your desk is a mess, people assume you are incompetent, indecisive and uncaring.

Office clutter is not only unsightly, it’s dangerous. Workplace accidents occur when someone trips on an electrical cord or a box, walks into an open file drawer, has to dodge a falling pile of junk, or slips on loose papers or spilled coffee. To check if your workspace is safe, ask yourself the following questions: Is anything stored on the floor, on stairs or in precarious stacks? Is junk blocking access to fire escapes, doors, windows or walkways? Are chemicals stored properly? Are the electrical outlets overloaded?

These reasons might motivate you to push forward your 5s effort in your office.....if this is still not enough please let me know.

The following video shows a great way to explain 5s

5S Quote

"The less clutter,
the less visual
stress."

The following video shows a great way to explain 5S

Catchy phrases for 5S implementation

These phrases could help you when implementing 5S

for Sort:
when in doubt throw it out

for Set in order:
A place for everything and everything in its place

for Shine:
Seen through the eyes of an important visitor

for Standardize:
Sort, straighten, and shine always

for Sustain:
Make 5S a habit

The following video shows a great way to explain 5S

How to work with "to-do" lists

A "to-do" list is one of the simplest, and most commonly used, scheduling tools. It captures all of the tasks that you need to carry out on a given day. Many people use to-do lists in combination with a weekly or monthly schedule, and many planners and computer calendars have to-do lists built in. The lists allow you to break down the tasks on your schedule as specifically as you require. For example, where your schedule might direct you to "return phone calls" at a certain time on Tuesday, your daily to-do list would likely detail each person you need to call.
An effective to-do list includes the following:

- tasks in priority order
- meetings you are scheduled to attend
- decisions you need to make
- information you are waiting for
- calls you need to make or expect to receive
- memos, letters, and e–mails you need to write
- any unfinished business.

Find a point in the day, possibly at the end of the day or first thing in the morning, to write down your to-do list. Periodically review your list as the issues of the day arise.

Here are some strategies for creating and using your list:

- Be realistic about how many things you can do. A rule of thumb is to include half the number of things you think you should be able to do.
- Include time required and completion date for each task.
- Don’t worry about putting items on the list in a particular order.
- Cross off each item as you complete it.

Save old lists in a box or drawer. You’ll enjoy seeing how much you’ve accomplished.