“If you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you’re going. ” I love this quote by Maya Angelou because it really sums up the thinking behind value stream mapping. How can you get better if you don’t know what’s you status now? Really, how can you know you’re saving time? In comes value stream mapping. It looks complicated, but it’s actually very simple at it’s core, and a talent I’m sure most parents already have used in other areas. Also, every parent I know says they are buried with stuff. Follow value stream mapping, and you’ll start decluttering too; it’s part of the process and overall philosophy.
What is Value Stream Mapping?
The definition of value stream mapping is manufacturing based and goes something like this: Value stream mapping is a lean management tool that helps visualize the steps needed to take from product creation to delivering it to the end-customer. In real terms, it’s a map of material and/or knowledge flow from start to end. I’m sure you’re still confused as to why you’re reading this and how it is useful in the family home. I have your answer – removing extra time and stuff in your daily routine frees up time one minute at a time everyday to allow for more relaxation and connection time. Seriously, stay with me and I promise you’ll start finding time all over your day.
How do I do this??
The vocab and definition can be pretty scary, but the process starts with a pen, piece of paper, and making a simple list. Pick a time of day that is frustrating to you, or seems like it always takes more time than it should. When I started, I focused on our entire morning routine from waking up to leaving for work and daycare. I wouldn’t recommend such a big task at first if you’ve never done this before. Even with my experience doing this at work, it was a very overwhelming at first, and I almost gave up on possibly the biggest positive change in my life apart from getting married and having kids.
Pick a task that is 15-20 minutes in length now. It tends to be easier to start with a routine that involves only you. If your spouse is reading this with you, great! You can start with one that involves them too. Don’t start with one that would involve changing what the kids are used to doing. Build this muscle with you first, and it will be easier to lead by example. I would recommend a routine like getting dressed (including hair and make-up), getting ready for bed, or a chore that you do totally on your own. In my house, that chore is cleaning bathrooms.😒 In my example I’m going to use getting up and ready for the day. Most of this example is coming straight from my original notes on doing this (yes, I’m that kind of person).
Step 1 – Write out what you’re doing now
Write out every task as small as you can. Instead of saying “get dressed”, say “walk to closest”, “pick out top”, “pick out bottom”, etc. Don’t hold anything back thinking it’s inconsequential. Be honest and don’t write down what you want to happen. If you always have to go to the dryer to get clean clothes, write that down! Try not to combine tasks into one step. You’ll see that in my example, and how I separated them later.
Example – Getting up and dressed
- Wake up, sit up, stretch, and check the time.
- Walk to the bathroom.
- Wash face and brush hair.
- Walk to the closet.
- Take off pajamas and put them in the hamper.
- Walk to the dresser in bedroom and get underwear.
- Put on underwear.
- Walk to the closet.
- Stare at hanging clothes and realize I don’t know what the temperature will be.
- Walk to bedroom and check weather forecast on phone.
- Walk to the closest.
- Pick a pair of pants or skirt.
- Pick a shirt that goes with bottoms.
- Put on clothes.
- Walk to the dresser.
- Pick out socks and put on.
- Walk to bathroom
- Do hair.
- Apply makeup.
- Leave bathroom to get Dand up.
Step 2 – Add time estimates
Add time estimates for every step. You think it takes 30 seconds? Great, write it down. Eventually we’ll go through the process keeping time to shave off even more time, but an estimate is good for now.
Example – Getting up and dressed
- Wake up, sit up, stretch, and check the time. – 3 minutes.
- Walk to the bathroom. – 30 seconds
- Wash face and brush hair. – 2 minutes
- Walk to the closet. – 30 seconds
- Take off pajamas and put them in the hamper. – 30 seconds
- Walk to the dresser in bedroom and get underwear. – 1.5 minutes
- Put on underwear. – 30 seconds
- …etc…
Total time – 24 minutes
Step 3 – Make a map
If you picked a process where you are literally standing in one place the whole time, feel free to skip this step. Otherwise, make a quick sketch of the room(s) your process is in. Don’t worry about being to scale or even all that accurate. We are looking at the pathways taken. Include furniture you’re walking around, but don’t include extra stuff unless you’re feeling artistic.
I tried uploading a sketch of my process, and realized that the end result is not all that helpful. Basically what you’re looking for is the paths you’re taking and how many time you revisit the same spot. The first few times you do this, stick with the big movements like moving between rooms or around big pieces of furniture. As you get more used to the process, include the smaller movements like turning around to access a shelf, or one step over to a second cabinet.
Step 4 – Make your process more efficient
Steps 1-3 have given you two ways to view the process. We can look at the physical movement (Step 3), or the time taken (Step 2). Usually, improving movement will reduce the total time so I’d recommend starting there. Ask yourself these questions:
- Is everything easily available where I use it?
- Is there anything in my way? Are these things used at another time in this space, or should they be put somewhere else?
- How can I visit this spot only once?
- Is there anything that I get frustrated with in the process?
Use these questions to guide your process changes. Start by trying to stay in one spot for everything there before moving on. Then look for way to correctly multi-task. This doesn’t mean to do you hair and makeup at the same time. Instead, turn on your curling iron before you start your makeup so it’s ready when you are. Combining passive tasks with active tasks can be a huge time saver. Finally, ask yourself if there’s anything you don’t need to do. If it doesn’t need to be done consider stopping it. Don’t try to be perfect.
I also used this time to reduce the stuff in my house. I added a box to the corner of my room, and every time I came across something that did not belong in my bedroom or I did not use anymore, it went into the box. Later I went through the box and put things away/got them ready for donation/ recycling, etc.
My example below is 7 steps and 6 minutes shorter. I also only had to visit every spot once. It wasn’t perfect, but gave me 6 more, precious minutes every morning before I even left my room.
Example – Getting up and dressed
- Wake up, sit up, stretch, check the time and weather forecast.
- Walk to the closet.
- Take off pajamas and put them in the hamper.
- Pick a pair of pants or skirt.
- Pick a shirt that goes with bottoms.
- Walk to the dresser in bedroom and get underwear.
- Put on underwear.
- Put on clothes.
- Walk to the bathroom.
- Wash face and brush hair.
- Do hair.
- Apply makeup.
- Leave bathroom to get Dand up.
Total time – 18 minutes
Step 5 – Use your new process
Pick a day, and just start. It will probably take a few days to get used to, but stick with it. Have the written process handy to keep you focused on the new way. Don’t stress about getting it perfect. Make mental notes of places you keep having problems with though.
Step 6 – Revisit the process every so often
One of the biggest parts of Lean is that you are never done. Processes need to be re-evaluated every once in a while to ensure they are working properly. Remember those mental notes above? This is where you take those and makes changes because of them. If something isn’t working, you’ll feel it. If everything feels right, dig deeper into the time required to do things. As you get started, run through Steps 1-5 once every 3-4 months. As things start to become more natural you can move to every six months.
Moving Forward and Thinking Bigger
It can feel tedious at first. I know it can seem like a pointless exercise. But becoming more efficient in little ways pays off in big ways. What if you can save 3 minutes 10 times over the course of a day? That’s 30 minutes to use for connecting with your kids, relaxing, or trying something new. I bet you can find even more than that.
Have you tried this and found success? Have you tried and had trouble? I’d love to hear below or drop me an email. I’d love to celebrate and help. Look for posts dealing with universal routines (dinner-time chaos anyone?) coming soon!