The 5-second rule – or why nobody says what doesn’t actually work 🛠️🧠

The 5-second rule – or why nobody says what doesn’t actually work 🛠️🧠

Many production projects fail where they don’t really start: with communication.
The main problem is not the software 💻, not the machines ⚙️, not the lack of materials – but the fact that we don’t talk to each other. Or at least not properly.

At the beginning of many projects I hear the same sentence:
“We don’t have time for that, there’s too much to do.“
But if there’s no time to say what’s not working – how is it supposed to work?

Where even the machines are still silent 🤖❌

In the specific work in question, digitization was barely present 👶.
There were no sensors, no real-time data, no automatic feedback. When a machine stopped, only one person knew: the person standing next to it.

That’s why I suggested something seemingly banal:
📝 If a fault occurs, please simply make a line on a prepared list – at the appropriate fault type.
No analysis, no report – just a line with a pen.

There is often experience behind the anger 😠➡️🧩

One employee reacted angrily:
“Mr. Jezsó, what do you think – do I just stand around with my arms crossed all day?”

This reaction had nothing to do with me – it had to do with the system.
A system in which information is more of a hindrance than a help.
In which feedback is not desired, but suspected.
And in which there is really no time for five extra seconds – because everyday life is poorly organized.

When the data finally arrived 📊

I explained:
Without data, there is no improvement.
Without improvement, the problem keeps coming back. And with it: stress 😓, extra work, frustration.

Slowly, things started to move. The strokes were made.
Strokes became patterns, patterns became decisions.
The machines couldn’t speak – but the people did.

Digitalization does not replace people – it needs them 🤝💡

Many believe that machines will tell us what’s going on.
But as long as that’s not the case, manual feedback is the only data channel.
And sometimes it all starts with a single, handmade stroke.

Leadership is in demand 👷‍♂️👂

Communication cannot be ordered.
You have to create the space for it – where feedback is part of the work, not a disruptive factor.
Where it’s okay to say: “That’s not how it works.”

Conclusion? 🎯

Don’t start with the solution.
But with the fact that you can talk about the problem at all.

Sometimes the first step is really just a line on paper.

Tip for further reading – before the machines “think”, we have to act 🧭

The reality in many companies shows:
Digitalization is not a software update, but a cultural change.
Before Industry 4.0 becomes possible, it needs structure, understanding – and the right steps.

🎓 I recommend the online course:
👉 “Digitalization 3.9 – Important steps before Industry 4.0”

📌 The course offers practical orientation without technical jargon – ideal for companies that want to take a holistic approach to digitalization.
💬 And if you want more than just a course: We are also happy to support you personally with individual advice, regardless of the course.
Whether as a sparring partner, project companion or source of inspiration – we are there where you want to start.

Attila Jezsó

Do you have a question? Get in touch with us and together we will put together a customized development package. We can even support you on site with consultants and coaches to make the change a success!

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