Marie Kondo - Tidying Up, streaming on Netflix

Marie Kondo is a Japanese Organizing Consultant and Author. She has TED Talks and has appeared on many talk shows, including Ellen, offering up ways to organize things in a more efficient way. In her Netflix program “Tidying Up”, Marie has a way of helping people think about what they have and discover its sense of value by asking “does this spark joy in you?”. Since the launch of this program in January 2019, a number of dental practice owners call me the “Marie Kondo of Dentistry.” I consider that to be the best compliment I’ve ever received. 

 Let’s face it, dentists are manufacturers. Before you start yelling at me, let me explain. By definition, manufacturing is the production of merchandise for use or sale using labor and machines, tools, chemical and biological processing, or formulation. Now, tell me you’re not a manufacturer. Dentistry is blue collar work in a white collar world. You’re electricians, plumbers, contractors and mechanics. Your work happens to be done on talking, eating, breathing individuals. As “manufacturers”, you must follow steps turning raw materials into a finished product. So why do some dentists hate what they do? Why is it so difficult to deliver a finished product efficiently? You can start by “Tidying Up.” 

If you don’t know already, I am the Lead Reboot Practice Productivity Trainer with Design Ergonomics. I travel weekly to cities across North America implementing principles that GUARANTEE an increase in your practice’s productivity. This blog allows me to share those experiences with my readers.  You might think, “Design Ergonomics is a dental office design firm and Ergonomic Products is a dental equipment manufacturer and I am in no position to remodel and re-equip.” Well, you’re right. We are experts in both dental office design and manufacturing ergonomic dental equipment, but Reboot Training is NOT a tool used to get you to buy dental equipment, build or remodel your space. Reboot Training is a program designed to implement systems in your practice that reduce waste without compromising an optimum level of care. I like to say I implement LEAN principles in dental practices. In a LEAN environment, we need to develop a system for this. It starts with the 5 S’s. These 5 S’s are Japanese words, but I’m going to dumb it down for you and give you the English version. Sort, Set, Shine, Standardize and Sustain.

1. Sort - The first thing we need to do is sort through your stuff. We need to get rid of everything expired. No exaggeration, I’ve had to request a dumpster on a few instances. I go through everything while working with teams to determine what is needed and not necessary. Have you heard of hoarding? Remember, we are working on dental office efficiency here. Sorting is the most time consuming. If you are overrun by stuff everywhere, here is where I come into play and start the sort process.  
2.  Set - Once all the clutter is gone, now we can begin to set. Everything comes out of boxes and everything must have its own designated space. Each space is clearly labeled. Setting is not random. It is strategized. In a dental practice, I will “set” restorative materials together - grouped by department or procedure. Don’t think by “wedges” having their own place is enough. Every size, color, plastic or wooden wedge has its own dedicated space. 
3. Shine - This is probably my favorite of the 5 S’s because we’ve gotten rid of clutter and everything has a designated spot - clearly labeled. Now, I get to help shine up the place and maybe start to see that counter top again. If you never thought you would see the floor of your storage closet, you might be surprised. 
4. Standardize - Now that everything is clean, you might think that’s it. On the contrary, without standardization, it’s easy for things to go back the way they were. Daily checklists, maintenance schedules, set ups, etc are all things to be standardized. They are your standard operating procedures kicked up a notch. 
5. Sustain - If not for continuous improvement, we’d still be operating like dental insurance companies...hahahaha. From time to time, we need to verify the systems in place are still working. Maintain and review your standards. For instance, if you’ve finally upgraded to digital xrays, why are we still storing film and processor chemicals? Get rid of it! This is kind of an archaic example but you get it, right? Everyone participates on the improvements. 
6. Safety - No, I didn’t lose count. There is actually a 6th S you can add to your program. Many manufacturing companies consider safety an outcome of performing the 5 S’s accordingly which would not make the 6th S necessary. We can all agree safety is important. 

When I started working with practices - and leading with the implementation of the 5 S’s - one thing became clear: dentists over-complicate their business. Most, however, don’t understand how it got to this point in the first place and find it difficult or impossible to overcome. Most are embarrassed to reach out for help. Hate to say it, but maybe this is the reason corporate dentistry is taking over. They have mediocre systems at best! You are better than this. You just need some help. Ask for it. 

By implementing the 5 S’s in your business you can start to feel motivated with 5 other words that start with the letter “S”. Secure, Skilled, Selfless, Smarter and Successful