Ask the Expert
The Topic: Six Sigma Adoption and Cultural Issues

	Bookmark This Page Email This Page Format for Printing Post A New Term Cite This Article Submit an Article Ask the Expert Archives

Jack Finney President and CEO Six Sigma Academy Scottsdale, Arizona, USA

Q: What employee adoption issues are associated with a new Six Sigma deployment? A: The most common response from employees deploying Six Sigma is, "Here we go again!" Organizations that pursue improvement opportunities have often used other methodologies. The common question is: "What makes Six Sigma any different from the other initiatives we've tried? Why does this work any better than the programs we already have in place?" There is often skepticism in the advertised benefits of Six Sigma; average cost savings of $250,000 per project seems like a lot of money, especially when it can add up to billions of dollars saved over several years. Effective deployments require full-time support from Black Belts, as well as significant time from others supporting Black Belt project teams. Providing those resources, and getting the day-to-day work done without the people deployed to do Six Sigma, often creates anxiety. A company asked, "Does Six Sigma apply here? It may work if you're building pagers, but what about the kind of work we do?" Even among organizations with similar products and processes as companies that have successfully deployed Six Sigma, there is a strong conviction that they are somehow different so it won't work here. Without the support of senior leaders, change initiatives are destined to fail. When employees see that their leaders are not providing the resources and necessary support for the deployment, they have an excuse not to support it themselves.   Q: What strategies work well when it comes to training employees and convincing resistant employees to adapt to new ways of working? A: The ultimate convincer is success – achieving the goals and objectives that have been identified by the organization as critical for their continued success. However, just telling stories of successful projects doesn't necessarily get all employees excited about Six Sigma. At one financial services company, there was significant discussion at the outset of the deployment around the integrity of results. They put financial gates in place to qualify projects that truly created bottom-line results, and then audited the projects one year after completion in order to ensure the results lasted. The audit verified that the results were real. Communicating the criteria surrounding projects and their subsequent success created credibility with those outside of the deployment. Another company created financial incentives for project results; not just for Champions, Black Belts and their teams, but also for the area where process improvements were made. The entire organization had a piece of variable compensation at risk for Six Sigma results, which created interest and support for the deployment.

Communicating success stories with the intention of generating enthusiasm for Six Sigma does pay dividends. Any initiative that is not understood will be viewed skeptically. Sharing stories and encouraging participation in the effort excites those involved. Our experience shows that employee satisfaction scores are higher for those involved in Six Sigma than the rest of the organization. Q: Do you recommend that companies review their culture before implementing a Six Sigma initiative? How is that review used when assembling their deployment plan? A: Absolutely. A Black Belt working projects can deliver significant savings to an organization. However, without the support and focus of the organization, a Six Sigma deployment will not alter how people behave and solve problems, and thus, achieve the substantial improvements that successful Six Sigma deployments offer. There is no one right way to deploy Six Sigma. The infrastructure and support for a successful deployment should be contingent on the culture of the organization, and the context of the times that Six Sigma is deployed. An understanding of the culture and context offers insights into opportunities and barriers to address when trying to gain the support of employees in embracing Six Sigma. Culture is defined by the norms and values – both formal and informal – that an organization lives by. Understanding the cultural readiness for a change initiative will facilitate decision-making around the topics of Black Belt selection, retention and repatriation. This cultural readiness knowledge will help shape all aspects of a successful deployment. Q: How can companies maintain a positive culture and momentum for Six Sigma as the initiative matures and employees turn over? A: The Six Sigma methodology is most successful when integrated into a company's business strategy, and not deployed merely as an off-the-shelf tool kit or a set of training sessions. Though many corporations initially consider Six Sigma only for profitability, they quickly learn that Six Sigma is the best business transformation program available today. The real benefit of Six Sigma is the culture change to becoming a customer-focused, fact-based, data-driven organization. The ultimate measure of Six Sigma success is when your company can say "It is the way we work." Reader Feedback Do you have a series of four to five questions focused on a specific Six Sigma topic? Would you like to have them answered by an industry expert? Make sure they are general enough to help a broad audience, and submit your topic along with the four to five questions to iSixSigma Experts.

"The Bottom Line" Links

BMG UNIVERSITY | Lean Six Sigma Online | . Reduce Travel Costs . Maximize Training Budget >> Get Certified Now..

VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY   Earn Your Lean, Green or Black Belt Six Sigma Master Certificate Online BOOST YOUR SALARY! *$38k more than uncertified counterparts. Learn From Industry Leaders!   START NOW

SIGMAPRO MBB, Lean Sigma, & DFSS   when experience matters most...

M O T O R O L A U N I V E R S I T Y Learn from the most experienced practitioners of Six Sigma in the world Public Training & Certification Click here to take a free Six Sigma Lesson

J URΛN   Lean Six Sigma Public Workshops Atlanta, GA - Sept 2008 Become one of your organization's 'vital few'. Get Juran Certified.

Finding that key person for your team is just a click away . . .     TheJobShop jobs.isixsigma.com

LodeStar Institute Affordable Lean Sigma, MBB  Public & On-site Certifications  Raleigh NC -  Green and Black Belt classes as low as $2,495 Sept 22!        >>Learn about LSI specials...

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN 2 weeks + 1 project = Black Belt Certification

. Find us on LinkedIn Join the iSixSigma Network and Connect with Other Six Sigma Pros .

. iSixSigma Live! Summit & Awards Jan 13-16, 2009 • Miami, FL Save up to $700 • Click Here! Register by August 14 .

Download the iSixSigma Toolbar for 1-Click access. Search Your Way. Everyday. Without Delay.

BEST SELLING PRODUCTS (iSixSigma Publications) 2008 VERSION! Six Sigma DMAIC Training Slides The complete Lean Six Sigma DMAIC course prepares participants to perform the role of a LSS Black Belt; covering what’s ... Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt E-book In 670 pages learn everything within the Lean Six Sigma DMAIC body of knowledge to successfully achieve Black Belt certi... Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Assessment Exam This assessment exam is useful for students interested in assessing their knowledge of Lean Six Sigma on the Green Belt ... Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Assessment Exam Interested in assessing your knowledge of Lean Six Sigma? Preparing for certifications? Testing your students and traine... Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt E-book Learn everything within the Lean Six Sigma DMAIC body of knowledge required to successfully prepare for Green Belt certi... 5S Assessment Tool Download this Excel template to assess any work area on their 5S activity. Breaks down assessment into all 5 groups: So... Design of an Operational Risk Management System Project Example Great Lakes Finance Company (GLF), a small Michigan-based retail and commercial lender, experienced several severe opera... Sell Your Products