Category: Leadership & Teamwork

When an organization attempts to implement a Six Sigma deployment, somebody needs to be selected to lead and manage it. Champions are upper-level managers who lead the execution of the Six Sigma deployment plans for the organization. That makes it one of the most critical roles in the eventual success of your Lean Six Sigma […]

The strategy of continuously improving your organizational processes by setting your goals, identifying deviations from those goals, and then taking appropriate actions to adjust your processes to close the gaps.

Sometimes we need the input of others in order to make a process easier. We also often could use someone who can bring a group together when working toward a goal. When this is done, that person is someone who facilitates. In a meeting, it can be easy for a group to lose direction. Having […]

The pursuit of knowledge is not relegated solely to the individual. Businesses regularly gather staff and other stakeholders with the intent of working together to gain knowledge that can assist in the goals of the organization. When an organization puts together a knowledge-based community, it shows that it is not only invested in the advancement […]

In any business arrangement, it is necessary to know who exactly has the power to make decisions. This is true for everything from approving a sale to granting the request for a change in a process be implemented. Just being in a position of power does not make you a great leader. A lot of […]

In my opinion, between 25 and 50 percent of variable pay must be directly linked to “hard” Six Sigma goals – throughout the organizational hierarchy.  This tactic usually gets everybody’s attention and quickly sounds the alarm to “align goals and objectives.”  It also sets the mood for “win-win” and generates a lot of leadership energy.  […]

As humans, we often seek insight by way of reasoning.  In this case, we are concerned with the reasoning of a “skeptic.”  Referencing the standard dictionary (Excel version), we define a skeptic as “somebody who questions the validity or truth of things that most people accept.”  Of little surprise, it would be generally accepted that […]

From my perspective, this is not a Six Sigma problem.  However, it does seem to be a management problem.  The motivational issue will likely disappear with some proactive leadership.  The difficulty you are have in relating your issues to the bottom line is likely due to the nature of your accounting system (i.e., a mismatch […]

There is a wide array of stereotypical reasons that potentially explain why people are not willing to “do” six sigma projects.  For example, in some situations, there are no incentives to offset the added risk and responsibility.  As yet another example, it is well known that a lack of dedicated resources can deter seasoned veterans […]

With respect to your question, my thinking may appear to be somewhat out-of-context. Nonetheless, it is my opinion that the premier tool, to be held in revere above of all others, is leadership. Tools such as Six Sigma, Lean, TQM, ISO, and all the rest are merely “enablers” of leadership. Not the other way around, […]

Determining if some initiative can “fit” an organization is much like buying a pair of shoes – you can know the exact size of each foot, but sooner or later, you must put the shoes on and walk around a little.  There is no substitute for experience. Six Sigma is an idea-centric, tool-based, fact-driven, top-down, […]

Asking for the optimal way to sell an organization on the merits of Six Sigma is much like asking how two people how they can best develop “love and admiration” for each other.  Your intent and focus is laudable, but your personal “brochure” is most likely “a little on the light side,” especially when given […]