Gina Gentile @ginagentile2000  Reputation - 25 Rank - Aluminum | Outside of textbook definitions about Champion roles and responsibilities, does anyone have a good example of what a Champion (or Champions Forum) looks like in an IT company that does not possess a command and control atmosphere (and has not deployed Lean Six Sigma as a mandate across the company)? I’m looking for external best practices and possibly someone who could come speak to our organization’s Champion Forum. |
Robert Tripp @VenerableBede  Reputation - 2294 Rank - Silver | In the Six Sigma world we tend to define a Champion based on the position they hold or their ownership of process performance where there is an improvement effort underway. In a hierarchical, command and control culture this assumption works reasonably well as people generally behave according to the marching orders they have received. They are, by nature of the management system and culture, invested in the outcome of the improvement project. Lacking the command & control structure I think it makes sense to define a Champion based on their behaviors, not strictly by their position on the org chart or specific relationship to a project. In this sense, a Champion is anyone who supports and is willing to defend a cause or project or outcome. In companies where LSS is not mandated, then Champions are identified and created based on their commitment to see success in a project. Of course, some Champions are more effective than others and the more influence they have in removing barriers to the success of the project, the more effective they will be. And influence usually correlates very closely with the level that the Champion occupies. This often creates a conflict in companies where LSS is not dictated, because there is risk (real or perceived) in applying LSS and the more influential people are less willing to take certain risks because they have more to lose. Creating Champions will involve significant efforts to sell the virtues and value of LSS: tangible and quick wins, appropriate use of resources, and links to strategic priorities. Take consolation in the fact that these are ideals regardless of the management culture. You have a Champion’s forum whose membership, I presume, is not exactly voluntary. I don’t know how the members were selected, but that may not be as important as understanding where each of them sits in relation to LSS. A few tools (matrix tools, all very similar) exist to help you work through understanding the support you can expect from your Champions, but in the end the tools get back to your working definition of a Champion: who is willing to support the effort and who is willing to defend the effort? If any members of that forum exhibit the behaviors of a Champion then work with them to build alliances and apply the tools in their areas of control to demonstrate the value to the broader organization. If not, you have to work on building that commitment through dialogue or applying the tools “under the radar” until success can be generated. IT organizations will want to see an approach that fits their project-oriented environment and you will need to communicate how LSS can improve the ability of your project management system to deliver full, defect-free functionality on time and within the budget. I know this does not provide a specific example of what a Champion or Champion’s Forum is, but the only real best practice for your situation has yet to be created and you are the best one to do it! You have an opportunity to create a Champion role based on what you want to achieve with LSS and the culture in your organization. I do not believe that getting a drive-by snapshot of another situation (either in person or through a forum like this) will help you do that. You will be most effective if you use your own creativity to cultivate a Champion role that reflects the uniqueness and complexity of your organization’s culture. |
February 13, 20120
