Often, people jokingly accuse me of owning stock in 3M. Why? Because I tend to use and coach others to use lots of Post-it® notes. I do have an affinity for the 3X3 inch variety, not because I am a 3M stockholder, but because the ubiquitous notes are such an effective tool for kaizen.
Kaizen is largely about capturing and understanding the current state and the related issues, problems, root causes and opportunities. Kaizen is also about the flow of the kaizeners’ improvement ideas – sharing, communicating, building on them, adjusting, organizing, prioritizing, assigning and executing them. Post-it® notes facilitate all that.
The notes are visual, colorful (colors should mean something), adjustable, movable, scrappable (low cost, easy to create a new one) and tactile things. These characteristics make it easy to get people started – get people writing, talking, moving, sharing, debating, etc.
Post-it® notes do not engender the same fear that often accompanies the more permanent pen or even pencil on a flip chart, plotter/kraft paper, etc. The notes also avoid the hypnotic and less than collaborative effects of the computer around which a bunch of folks try to gather (if you’re lucky it’s an LCD projector) while one person controls the keyboard and mouse.
Here’s a short list of Post-it® note applications:
- process mapping
- value stream analysis
- product family analysis matrix
- Gantt charts
- plus/deltas
- set-up reduction analysis
- countermeasure prioritization
- affinity exercises
- failure modes and effects analysis
- cause and effect diagrams
- layout analysis
So, I wrote a really lame ode to the 3X3 Post-it® note…because I could (sort of). Don’t worry, I won’t quit my day job.
____________________________________________
Oh noble 3X3 Post-it® note, I am utterly lost without thee.
You enable team members to think and engage, worry free.
Your portability and stick allow a helpful lack of permanence,
The better to help us storm, “affinitize,” prioritize and make sense.
Your hue can mean “process” or “kaizen burst,” whatever we please,
When a flow chart needs a diamond, we simply spin you 45 degrees.
Our scissors work you into a triangle if a V.S. map has a queue,
When you are side-by-side (continuous flow), truly we love you.
____________________________________________
Yes, the ode is lame…but, you’ve got to love those little 3X3 Post-it® notes.
Related post: Plus Delta – The Kaizen Team’s Sunrise Reflection
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#1 by Joe Dager on August 18th, 2010
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Mark, the ode should inspire you to work even harder at your day job. :=)
Did you ever think where we would be without these things? Would Kaizen events ever been created? Computer software is still trying to simulate the uses of these notes?
It is a good lesson on how important “Simple” solutions are.
It reminds me of the story of if not the richest, one of the richest men to come out of the California gold rush. His name was Levi Strauss, never panned for gold at all. He had a simple idea and just made work pants for the miners. Must have caught on like post-it-notes did.
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#2 by markrhamel on August 19th, 2010
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Hi Joe,
Thanks for the comment. Funny – you’re right, I should work harder at my day job!
Well, I think Post-it notes came into their own after the first kaizen events, but they are certainly elegant in their simplicity. I think that they are often more useful than the venerable flip chart.
Now, if I can just invent the next Levi’s or Post-it notes…
Best regards,
Mark
#3 by John Bushling on August 19th, 2010
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Mark,
I too should own 3M stock. I use Post-It by the boat load during a kaizen event. But, I have also found Post-Its in the shape of ‘Kaizen Bursts’ that I use shamelessly during VSM events.
However, I’m going to stay out of the Ode business.
Best,
John
#4 by markrhamel on August 19th, 2010
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Hi John,
Thanks for the comment. Glad to know that I am not the only Post-it junkie.
Hey, where do you get those burst shaped Post-its? Those could be very helpful! As you know, folks will often cut out their own bursts (that can be a pain) either with Post-its or some other paper or just draw a burst on the 3X3 Post-it itself.
Best regards,
Mark
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#5 by Andrew Bishop on August 24th, 2010
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Changing the focus a little to daily work vs. intentional change events, I tell people I HATE Post-its and I LOVE Post-its:
HATE them because they are a sign of a broken process: go into someone’s work area and see Post-its all over and you know that things aren’t right. They are often a symptom of underdeveloped systems and standards, poorly standardized communication, etc. “Don’t forget to …” [fill in the blank].
LOVE them because they are a sign of a broken process: like all good visuals, they show us where a problem is! Now we know a little better where to focus our attention.
#6 by markrhamel on August 24th, 2010
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Hi Andrew,
Thanks for the comment and the great insight. Lean is sort of a love/hate relationship. In a similar vein, I tell folks that I get depressed if I walk through an area for the first time and don’t see lots of ugliness. Why? Because I want to see opportunity to improve (radically).
Best regards,
Mark