Change Management

7 Keys To A Change Deployment Process
Why is there so much variation in levels of success amongst adopters of change programs? The answer lies in the fact that most methodologies offer steps that are necessary to achieve success; they are neither sufficient nor exhaustive. This article explores some of the potential issues that need to be addressed during a change process that can make the difference between a successful and a not-so-successful deployment. From Sambuddha Chakraborty and iSixSigma.

Building the Foundation for Successful Change
After decades of initiatives being unleashed on unprepared organizations, good managers have learned that the correct foundation must built to allow successful change. Here are some critical aspects of building that foundation for change. From Trevor Durnford.

Catalyzing Change: A Turnaround Success
Given a dire situation, a change management process is clearly required. A haphazard attack on many issues can exacerbate the problem. Kotter's Eight-Stage Process of Creating Change was used as the guide to induce the re-invention of a team and business processes in this real-world transformation that saved a company. From Claudio D'Ambrosio and iSixSigma.

Developing Black Belt Change Agents
Black Belts and Change Agents should know how to survive 'Pity City' and the 'Valley of Despair.' Learn to navigate the issues associated with change and improvement projects from two experts on this subject. The successful results lead to greater business efficiency and profitability. From Val Larson, Mike Carnell and iSixSigma.

Dialogue in Organizational Settings, The Theory and Practice of
When facilitated constructively, dialogue fosters and maintains the high levels of openness and trust that characterize healthy, evolving organizational cultures.John Hale and the Center for the Study of Work Teams. From John Hale and Center for Study of Work Teams.

Employee Empowerment and Customer Service
The cookie and the orange: Empower your employees to take ownership of day-to-day problems and the customer and you win. From Teambuilding, Inc.

How Do I Convince The Management Team To Embrace Quality?
From the iSixSigma Discussion Forum: "We are currently in the process of launching our new quality initiative in the Accounts Receivable unit of a large insurance company, but the middle management team is doing everything they can do to quench the effort to improve quality..." From iSixSigma.

How To Implement Quality
Three key steps to a successful Quality program implementation. From iSixSigma.

Integrating Quality With Integrity
Challenge a colleague's integrity to drive quality implementation. From iSixSigma.

Introduction to Leading Change
This module discusses the importance of creating a positive environment, how to encourages change and the six principles of TQM. From Farrokh Alemi at George Mason University.

Introduction to Psychology of Change
This module helps you determine what works in changing behavior and assess the potential likelihood of a TQM project succeeding. From Farrokh Alemi at George Mason University.

Making of Good Change Agents: Attitude, Knowledge, Skills
What makes a good change agent? When assessing potential candidates, three questions need to be asked: Do they have the right attitude? Do they possess the appropriate knowledge? And do they master necessary skills? From Amy Tan and Dr. Uwe H. Kaufmann.

Managing Six Sigma Change Resistance
A critical component of any successful Six Sigma project is to overcome resistance to change. The reason: Without user acceptance, any process improvement is doomed to fail. Therefore, proper anticipation and understanding the approaches to various resistance tactics is essential to success. People resist change in the workplace in many ways. This article provides several approaches that can be used to counter these occurrences. From Richard Bellanca.

Process Improvement: A-Gift from Quality
Quality tool books are full of terms, acronyms and charts that can make non-quality professional faint of heart (some quality professionals as well). Here is how to change the "policing" perception to one of "a-gift" giver to your bottom line. From Terence Collier and iSixSigma.

Quantifying the 'Soft' Costs of Empowering Employees
The 'hidden' costs of restricting human potential in the workplace are staggering. From Teambuilding, Inc.

Sustain The Six Sigma Gain
To get the best return on your Six Sigma investment and keep customers competitive and content, you need to sustain the gain. So how do you do it? How do you avoid the seemingly inevitable outcome of decreasing momentum and declining participation? There are a few key indicators and guidelines that you can put in place to prevent that from happening and to keep the energy level high. From Greg Brue and The CEO Refresher.

Sustaining Results From Six Sigma
Six Sigma initiatives are at risk of losing the discretionary effort and intellectual capital that workers once supplied willingly. Organizations can increase employee engagement by engineering their improvement strategies around a few core principles. Learn to close the 'engagement gap.' From Bill Kowalski and iSixSigma.

The Six Sigma Cycle of Change
The Six Sigma cycle of change is hard to begin, but once the wheel of change is in motion it's easy to sustain. While you cannot change your culture overnight, you can start to drive results through Six Sigma projects. From David Silverstein and iSixSigma.

Using Interviews to Shape a Six Sigma Deployment
Conducting interviews with the CEO and those who report directly to the CEO, as well as other key influencers is a great way to identify critical elements of success for the business as a whole and for the Six Sigma initiative itself. From Bill Kastle and Max Isaac.

Using Six Sigma to Achieve a Cultural Transformation
Changing the culture of a hospital is the "hard stuff," and it is absolutely necessary—if, for example, you want to remain in the top 1% of an all-hospital database for patient satisfaction. From Press Ganey Associates, Inc.

Ways to Shorten the Trip Through the 'Valley of Despair'
Getting some help from management and knowing the emotional ups and downs during a typical project can help a Black Belt get through the inevitable "valley of despair," close projects on time and deliver the expected business results. From Steve Crom.

What Europeans Need to Know About U.S. Colleagues
Six Sigma practitioners in multinational companies need to know the differences in perspectives between European business leaders and their American counterparts. With some insight, they can improve their understanding and avoid potential conflicts. From Thomas Bertels.

What Keeps Six Sigma Practitioners Up At Night?
What causes Six Sigma projects to fail to produce desired results, and what would most help to improve Six Sigma project results? This article presents survey results from Six Sigma professionals and presents recommendations. From Bill Kowalski and Leap Technologies.

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