Reasons Parents Made Us Pick Up Our Toys

By Tom Grandy

Most reading this article have children.  If so, you know the drill.  At the end of the day we instruct our children to put their toys back on the shelf before going to bed.  There are several reasons for this:

  • Safety of Others – Depending on the age of the child, the parent will come into the child’s dark room one or more times during the night. Tripping on toys can be very dangerous.
  • Preserve the Life of the Toy – Toys on the floor run the risk of being stepped on resulting in damage or even destroying the toy altogether.
  • Know Where It Is – How many times has little Johnny or Susie asked “Mom, I can’t find my toy. Do you know where it is?”
  • Learn Discipline – Habits learned early tend to be remembered.

Guess what?  The above principles also apply to the tool’s technicians use throughout the day.  Putting tools back where they belong saves time and money.  It also reduces loss and/or damage.  Spending time looking for a tool (or repairing/replacing a broken or damaged tool) increases the cost of the job and therefore lowering profits.

It’s a shame we as adults often don’t appreciate the value of what our parents taught us until the “need” arises.  The good news is that we all have the opportunity to change and form new habits.  Putting tools back where they belong helps everyone within the company.