Owner Builder Lessons for the Project Management Industry

Owner builder residential construction projects offer a terrific point of comparison from which businesses can learn volumes about effective (or ineffective) project management strategies and techniques.

Owner builders are individuals who wish to save a lot of money by eliminating the costs of hiring a general contractor. Therefore, owner builders manage the construction of their own homes. They don’t necessarily have to do any of the labor themselves to be official owner builders. But, owner builders must oversee the planning and construction.

Because owner builders are often inexperienced in many aspects of residential construction, let alone project management, it is easy to take some invaluable lessons from owner builder construction and apply them to business project management.

Owner builders make many basic mistakes. Learn from them to refresh yourself on some project management basics.

1. Owner builders often underestimate the amount of time required for their construction project. What’s the lesson here? Always add an extra 15% to your project timeline to create a safety buffer.

Most owner builder construction loans provide a minimum of twelve months for owner builders to get their home built. Yet, most owner builders think they are going to be completed with construction within six to nine months.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for owner builders to blow their timeline and often use more than the typical twelve months allotted in the owner builder construction loan.

Of course, the timeline error is due to other management errors that occur during the construction project, but the lesson remains valid. Just like owner builders should overestimate the amount of time needed for a project, so should anyone professionally involved in the project management industry.

2. Owner builders constantly fail to underestimate the importance of the planning phase of a project. Similarly, anyone involved in project management should regularly remind themselves that the project planning is more often than not just as important as the actual execution of the project.

Owner builders typically fall into the trap of wanting to rush through their planning and budgeting in order to get to the physical construction of the home. Unfortunately for the owner builder, this means that they have no accurate budget numbers and no sub-contractors lined up to build their house.

It sounds basic and simple. It is basic and simple. For the owner builder who makes this mistake, he will lose precious time and money during the actual project as he scrambles to find any sub-contractor who will do the required work.

If the owner builder had taken the time during the planning phase, he would already have the sub-contractor lined up and under contract. There would be no scrambling. There would be no desperate hiring of under-qualified, over-priced sub-contractors at the last minute.

Think about how this owner builder example applies to any project. It doesn’t matter if it’s residential construction or any other project management field. The planning phase is as important as the execution phase. Your time is well spent during the planning. If you enter the execution phase properly prepared, you will save yourself time and money.

It’s true for owner builders. It’s true for you.

3. Owner builders often make the mistake of failing to thoroughly inspect the work of sub-contractors. In the project management industry, you live and die by your follow-up and inspection of the work that is being done.

One of the ways in which owner builders fail to properly inspect their sub-contractors’ work is that they don’t do a secondary follow up after some time has elapsed after the initial completion of labor.

For example, an owner builder may think he’s doing a good job of managing his construction project by inspecting the work of his plumber once the rough plumbing has been completed. If the plumbing checks out okay, the owner builder will often make the mistake of paying the plumber in full.

However, what happens once the HVAC mechanic goes to complete his portion of the work? What happens when he finds plumbing errors that the owner builder didn’t find? If the plumber is already paid in full, it is almost impossible for the owner builder to get the plumber back out on the job site.

Therefore, all owner builders would save themselves a lot of heartache if they did a secondary inspection after their initial inspection. Think of it as a double follow-up. By waiting an appropriate amount of time to perform the secondary inspection, you give yourself (and other people on the job) a chance to find any flaws that may have been initially missed.

Thus, before you mark a specific phase or evolution as complete, wait an appropriate amount of time. Perhaps you shouldn’t call a particular phase complete until the subsequent phase is satisfactorily in progress, showing no ill effects from the first phase.

Overall, the mistakes that owner builders make are very simple. Thus, the project management lessons are pretty basic. Yet, they’re vital. Owner builder construction is a great way to refresh yourself on the core basics of successful project management.

Chris Esposito helps owner builders manage the construction of their homes and save money by cutting out the costs of a general contractor. Through the Owner Builder 101 program, he provides the nation’s premier owner builder construction loans. Learn more at www.OwnerBuilder101.com.

7 Reasons Why Six Sigma Benchmarking Efforts Fail

Six Sigma Benchmarking projects are structured and systematic, concentrating on superior performance at the end of the project.

The success of each benchmarking project is dependent on the participation of all the parties involved. The involvement and the commitment of senior management are necessary for projects to achieve their objectives.

Six Sigma project efforts are bound to fail if teams do not understand the areas of concern for internal processes, or management does not support them properly.

Various reasons why the benchmarking efforts of some companies fail are listed below.

1. Lack of understanding: The key factor for Six Sigma benchmarking failures is the lack of understanding of internal processes and the mission and the goal of the organization. If management does not align the activities with the mission statement of the organization, then all efforts will be wasted.

The failure to understand the needs of the customer, the outcomes of the processes and the performance of the process is responsible for efforts failing.

2. Lack of sponsorship: Unless there is acceptance of the Six Sigma project and its objectives and potential costs by management, any improvements made may prove useless.

Team leaders may not accept the improvements for lack of understanding.

3. Unfamiliar Teams: If the members of the team are not familiar to the process or the area under consideration, they may not be able to understand the minute details of the process and its relevance to the success of the project. The members of the team should be people who have experience in the working of the process.

If team members are unable to compare the processes of the two organizations in the correct light, then they will not be able to find and come up with good improvements to the project.

4. Too much work: If teams decide to cover a broader area, they will soon find it unmanageable to carry out the project systematically to its logical solution.

By making simple flowcharts, breaking down the projects and having a logical approach to Six Sigma project selection, the team will be able to contribute positively to the project.

5. Lack of commitment: If managers are not well informed about the pros and cons of the projects, they will underestimate the effort, in terms of time and cost, needed for the successful completion of the project.

A lack of commitment of top management to support the project in its entirety means sure failure of the Six Sigma benchmarking project.

6. Focus on metrics rather than processes: Some organizations tend to focus on performance metrics rather than the overall processes.

If the other organization has high returns due to certain reasons, then a study of your organization processes is necessary in order to understand its drawbacks and improve upon them to achieve the benchmarks.

7. Failure to monitor process progress: If the teams have completed analysis and implementation of the changes to any process, management should monitor its progress on implementation.

By failing to monitor results over a longer period of time, the benchmarking project will surely fail.

The failure of benchmarking efforts can be overcome by planning the Six Sigma project carefully. Projects must be managed and coordinated well among the team members by the active participation of senior management.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution’s Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for six sigma professionals including, lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Guidelines For Six Sigma Healthcare Project Selection

Customer satisfaction (i.e. the satisfaction of the patients) is of utmost relevance to any healthcare organization. It is not restricted to giving proper treatment, but involves other services such as billing systems, availability of rooms and so on.

It becomes imperative to select a Six Sigma project that would bring about substantial improvements in critical services.

Prioritizing Activities

Potential Six Sigma projects for healthcare organizations may be related to the workflow of the registration and billing systems, the clinical procedures of medication administration or Intensive Care Unit procedures. All these activities are relevant – but all of them cannot be improved simultaneously.

Prioritizing and selecting areas that need immediate improvement is critical to the success of the Six Sigma project. A few guidelines should be followed when selecting Six Sigma projects in a healthcare organization.

When prioritizing the appropriate project, significance has to be given to customer requirements first. The critical to quality (CTQs) elements for the project have to be understood. The customer need not be the patient only; it can also be nursing staff, physicians and administration or department heads as well.

Equally important is to understand the complex nature of the problem. The higher the complexity with measurable response variables, the better the prospect for a Six Sigma project. Some problems may be sorted out by using other tools like CAP (Change Acceleration Process) and Workout, which can be applied to cases that simply need direction and facilitation.

Common Characteristics

Typically, for Six Sigma project selection, there has to be identifiable input and output of the processes. Some common characteristics of Six Sigma projects are the feasibility of resources and data, clearly defined goals, alignment of critical hospital issues and visible benefits of the initiatives to customers. There also has to be a considerable improvement on implementation of the project.

The QFD (Quality Function Deployment) tool can be effectively used to gain agreement on the best area for the Six Sigma improvement. By carrying out interviews and surveys, the data can be collected and the CTQs determined.

When the data is collected, the Six Sigma team has to determine the problem area (which can be controlled) and the solution that would be to the benefit of the organization. If a simple project that can show some quick results is undertaken, it can help bring about more support and provide a thrust to further initiatives.

By choosing something that is time-bound, the project solution will become more meaningful and long lasting. The effort and results can be sustained over a longer period of time. Additionally, if it is not of a controversial nature, which may lead to layoffs, then the change may not face much resistance.

By using a prioritization matrix, the CTQs can be weighed and the critical functions taken up for improvement.

Healthcare organizations should work on selection of the proper Six Sigma projects, those that will power measurable benefits for the organization. Depending upon the needs and priorities of each organization, they should select the project accordingly and bring about changes that will help provide the best services to customers.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution’s Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for six sigma professionals including, lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Aligning Six Sigma And Healthcare

Technological developments are happening at a brisk pace, overtaking existing systems and educational developments.

The ever-increasing demand in this sector has had negative impact, leading to overcrowding of hospitals and customer complaints.

Main Objectives

The Six Sigma methodology aligned with the healthcare sector is a very good option to bring about process improvements with quick results. Improvements are required in common areas such as cost management, service provision and quality of clinical services in healthcare organizations.

The major objectives of quality healthcare relate to safety of patients, quality services for patient happiness and reduced turnover of staff by providing good working conditions. Sufficient operating margins are also a main goal.

For example, in critical areas, such as the operating room and the entire process of surgery, there may be issues such as pre-op delays, unavailability of surgeons, anesthetists and even some equipment. In these cases, a Six Sigma project that applies the lean concept to pre-op process can bring about major improvements.

The safer and more efficient the emergency department is, the more patient satisfaction will increase.

Using Kaizen events to monitor equipment or replenish supplies and staffing schedules for medical staff are some of the tools of Six Sigma that can be very useful. In some cases, problems regarding the availability of rooms and support staff at hospitals arise.

In this scenario, scheduling processes done using the Six Sigma methodology can prove effective. It helps by reducing defects and medical and prescription errors.

Training, Commitment and Leadership

In the healthcare environment, the management of processes and information is challenging. There is a lack of usage of data in a meaningful way. With lives on the line, hospital administrators tend to concentrate on finding urgent solutions – and the real issues or causes of problems may be forgotten or ignored.

Six Sigma defines formal goals for healthcare organizations and the timeline to bring them into force. Well-defined goals are connected to organizations’ performance measures.

For a successful implementation of Six Sigma projects in health care organizations, commitment of management and Six Sigma training, coupled with a long-term vision, are necessary. The commitment of top-level management has to be communicated to the lowest levels of the organization and Six Sigma training imparted to the members. The cost of Six Sigma training is justified when the results of the first projects show breakthrough results.

In this way, process effectiveness improves, and the reduction in defects and waste brings about savings for the organization as well. Frequent communication of performance helps ensure that everyone connects to the overall goals, be it nursing, housekeeping, billing, administration or any other area.

Six Sigma initiatives help increase patient care and satisfaction, physicians’ satisfaction and bring about cost savings that leads to stronger growth of the organization. Each healthcare organization has its own set of distinct requirements, so there is not a one-size-fits-all solution for the healthcare sector.

Healthcare organizations can learn from the best practices of the other organizations and use the appropriate Six Sigma approach that fits their specific culture and concerns. They can then live up to their commitment to provide the best services to the community.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution’s Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for six sigma professionals including, lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Merging Six Sigma And The Balanced Scorecard

These activities of Six Sigma projects are aligned to organizational objectives. Properly developed strategies, which are built up by listening to the voice of the customer, are better constructed to suit customer requirements.

The Balanced Scorecard Explained

The Balanced Score Card is another tool that helps organizations to focus on various aspects of the business while providing a complete appraisal of the progress of the organization. Employees can concentrate on improving the performance of their area of work without affecting or damaging the other related sectors of the organization.

The Balanced Score Card requires employees to convert their organizational goals to performance metrics. They have to connect these aspects to the customer’s view of the organization, the internal processes of the organization, the continual improvement of the organization and the financial aspect from the shareholders’ point of view.

Both Six Sigma and the Balanced Score Card are tools that rely heavily on the metrics for improvement efforts in the organization. Integrating the two can be beneficial in bringing about even more focused efforts by Six Sigma leaders on overall organizational performance.

Additionally, both the methodologies rely on accurate data and on metrics to communicate the progress route and the objectives. Balanced Scorecard allows for performance metrics to be labeled with red for poor, yellow for mixed results and green for excellent results.

These ratings can help Master Black Belts and Black Belts isolate areas that need immediate attention. They can initiate projects to impact these poorly performing areas. The areas with red ratings require immediate and urgent work to be done for their improvement. Their poor performance can have an undesirable impact on other areas of the organization.

The Balanced Scorecard becomes a powerful tool for Six Sigma project leaders to prove the need for change in the processes in these areas.

Employee Participation

Understanding these key areas helps employees understand and develop strategies for their improvement. The ratings can motivate employees to play a role in their improvement and sustain them for longer periods. They will also be able to appreciate the impact of their efforts on the betterment of the area of concern – and in turn, the continued growth of the organization.

Employees’ active participation in Six Sigma initiatives often has a positive impact on the pace of the improvement effort, with less resistance to change.

This provides the mechanism for steering the organization’s alignment and maintaining balance across the enterprise. The statistics provide the most critical to quality aspects for the Six Sigma teams to focus their efforts on improvement.

The integration of Six Sigma and the Balanced Scorecard is one solution that will help organizations to align strategic objectives with a clear measurement of impact on the activities and the growth of the business as well as stakeholders.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution’s Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for six sigma professionals including, lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Process Improvement Teams For Six Sigma Success

The Six Sigma Team

The Six Sigma process improvement team is formed by selecting members from selected processes of the organization. They have a clear set of goals and targets defined. Each member is trained and is well-versed on organizational objectives. They have mutual trust and each member knows that they can influence the team agenda positively.

The team is put together by a team leader and process owner. The members may be directly or indirectly involved with the process. Members may be built by the senior management but need not have departmental leaders. Regular users of the system or processes are the major players of the improvement team.

In a management-led approach to improvement projects, communication is top- down. Since there is no involvement of the basic workforce in process improvement, they may resist it more.

Advantages Over Management Teams

The Six Sigma process improvement teams, however, have an advantage over management-led teams. They are developed by involving some of the core members directly working on the processes. This creates a sense of ownership and passion in the implementation of the project.

Solutions by these members are often closer to the required results, as they are aware of the problems in the system. The resulting savings and improvements are immediately visible to the affected business units. As teamwork is and underlying factor, members feel more involved and valued for their efforts.

In the process of building a team for a Six Sigma project, it is important to put together members who are knowledgeable about the processes and have a resourceful mind. A team leader should be appointed who is familiar with the project management process. They should also be aware of Six Sigma and should be undergo the proper Six Sigma training.

The team size should be manageable to ensure that all members participate. There should also be someone who is able to record ideas properly.

The team should start work by developing a project charter and setting the definition of the initiative. The charter should define the processes which need to be considered for improvement, along with the timeline for various steps of the project. They should be aware of the metrics and select one which suits their process needs most.

Once the metrics have been decided, they should brainstorm improvement options. If a simple quick-fix solution is available for even a small improvement, it should be implemented so that it encourages other members of the organization to see its benefits and respect the initiative. Various control tools are available to monitor the actions and their impact on the organization. Any variations or defects are identified by using these charts and then the necessary changes brought about. A critical system to process performance has to be put in place.

Six Sigma team members should have multifunctional capabilities. Improvement tasks should be integrated in the process to bring about a smooth transition. The process improvement team drives the Six Sigma project to success through the dedicated efforts of its members.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution’s Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for six sigma professionals including, lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Six Sigma Team Recognition And Rewards

The Advantages of Rewards

In Six Sigma architecture, having a rewards and recognition policy in place is equally important. In bringing about changes in the system smoothly, rewards and recognition can play a very important role. If employees feel that their initiatives are being recognized, they will come forward with suggestions for improvement.

If a person working on a particular process has some problems, and if they feel encouraged to make suggestions, they will be interested in taking a change further. They would feel that the change is for the better and that it will not be of any harm to their status in the organization.

If the person in question studies the process properly, comes up with a good idea and is recognized for the effort, they will feel involved in the entire process and accept the new process easily.

Rewards could be in the form of small gifts in front of colleagues or cash rewards to a certain level. The other advantage of having a reward policy is that it will encourage others to participate in the process as well.

However, it should not create a winner-and-loser scenario in the organization.

The Different Levels of Rewards

There could be different rewards for different levels of people. Rewards can be for certain achievements in the project or for a unique initiative. For Green Belts, depending upon the size of the project and if it has been implemented perfectly, rewards such as gift certificates or cash rewards can be very motivating.

Along with this, recognition of employees’ achievements in front of their peers is much more effective than even a monetary amount. Efforts should be made to congratulate employees in team meetings for the efforts that they make on a project.

Salaries and Bonuses for Black Belts

For Black Belts and Master Black Belts, companies can tie their salary or bonus structure to the various benefits that they have brought about from their various projects. Productivity, reduced losses and improved quality can be factors to determine their rewards.

For one and all any reward, big or small, is motivating enough if handed over with acknowledgement from management and colleagues. Even Quality leaders, Champions and CEOs should be recognized for their efforts.

At the completion of the Six Sigma Project, having a luncheon celebration with all employees will prove motivating to the team.

Six Sigma Team Involvement

The involvement of team members and other employees in the planning and execution of a program is very useful. To engage people in such efforts, a recognition program is in order. HR can play a relevant role in this process. With the support of the HR department, teams can set up the appropriate system for rewarding and recognizing their employees.

With their support, senior management can set up the structure for compensating or rewarding employees with raises or bonuses. They can even help in developing a non-monetary reward system.

Reward and recognition is a very important and useful part of Six Sigma architecture. The proper, careful and systematic use of the same can prove to be very motivating for the employees and ultimately lead to success of the Six Sigma project.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution’s Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for six sigma professionals including, lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Six Sigma: Phases Of Benchmarking

The focus should be on your company, compared with the standards or achievements of other similar companies. They are external references on which to base your evaluations of your own achievements.

Benchmarking can be called comparing your own performances to those of the best practices in top-level companies. It involves an evaluation of how those companies have achieved results – and on the basis of this information, setting the targets for your own company.

Benchmarking is not limited to mere goal setting. It involves concentrating on the superior performance. Benchmarking projects are like any other project – it is essential to have a systematic and structured approach to the process.

At the same time, the process should be flexible to any innovative ways to obtain new information. Typically, there are four phases of the benchmarking process; planning, analysis, integration and action.

Phases of Benchmarking:

Planning Phase

Being the first phase, this phase has to be completely error free. Any mistakes in this phase will mean further phases would be affected, and efficiency and effectiveness may not be up to the mark.

This phase involves the identification of the benchmark itself. It means that top management has to decide which processes are relevant – from the point of view of customer requirements.

The critical to quality (CTQs) requirements have to be studied properly to prioritize the relevant processes. These have to be benchmarked to an organization. A proper study of which one suits your goals the most should be selected.

Analysis Phase

This phase involves analyzing the information collected in the planning phase. An analysis of the reasons for the better outcomes of the benchmarked processes has to be done based on the data collected. Based on this analysis, a better process has to be developed.

The next step is to set goals for developing an improved process for your organization. This goal for the process should be to make as good a process – or an even better one – than the other organization.

Integration Phase

This phase takes the planning and analysis done in the earlier steps to further levels only after being accepted by senior management and department heads. Proper communication of the findings in the earlier stages has to be conducted and their commitment established.

When the revisions are accepted, the acceptance of the goals is the next important step.

Action Phase

The last phase is the most important phase. It involves developing a plan for implementation with all the factors involved such as the time line, responsible owners and targets being planned properly.

It is necessary that senior management also be responsible for the coordination of various activities, monitoring the progress of the plans and removing any barriers in the implementation process. When the revised process is in place, a report stating the benefits of the new revised process has to be developed.

The project completion should be the milestone- the benchmark – for any further projects. The process has to be a continuous one so that the initiative does not fail due to neglect.

Benchmarking is definitely advantageous, as it involves learning from others to make suitable changes to suit your company’s requirements and goals.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution’s Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for six sigma professionals including, lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

The Philosophy Of Six Sigma

Six Sigma is not just any other program; it is a way of running a business. It is a way of carrying out the activities at near perfect levels, and focuses on elimination of defects and tackling variations.

It aims at achieving customer satisfaction leading to customer delight. Process or product improvement and development of new products – if needed – are a few ways improving businesses.

Six Sigma can be considered to be a measure, a philosophy, and a target.

Implementing Methodologies

Six Sigma is a management philosophy that is based on the theory that reduction in defects is a better approach to lowering costs and customer loyalty. It realizes the fact that defects are expensive. To gain a competitive edge, developing a high quality product at the right cost is essential for customer satisfaction and profitability. Variations limit process performance.

Though variations cannot be eliminated entirely, efforts to reduce them can be made. The target of Six Sigma is to have 3.4 defects per million opportunities. The cost of poor quality represents 20 to 30 percent of total company revenues. The Six Sigma approach is to implement methodologies that aim at reaching world-class quality by improvement of 50 percent or more.

While some traditional methods rely on measuring output and establishing controls, Six Sigma focuses on eliminating them. It involves listening to voice of customers to bring about this change. By listening to customers, importance is given to understanding the value expectations of customers, which help eliminate the root cause of dissatisfaction.

The Six Sigma philosophy is that of continuous improvement; it is also in making decisions based on data-driven facts that are aligned to the business’ objectives.

The Three Methodologies

Six Sigma encompasses three methodologies, process management, DMAIC and Design for Six Sigma (DFSS). Process management involves control of processes to meet the business’ goals. This necessitates having proper systems for data collection, decision-making and bringing about improvement initiatives. DMAIC, which stands for “Define – Measure- Analyze- Improve- Control”, is the roadmap for achieving the target of defect-free processes and improved products.

Six Sigma teams follow the process of identifying and defining defects, analyzing the defects using various measures, suggesting improvements and having metrics or controls in place to achieve the goals of the business. By implementing the usage of standard operating procedures throughout the business, fewer defects can be ensured along with the integrations of products, services and distribution.

Another methodology that is useful to understand is the DFSS methodology. This methodology is useful when there is a need to design an entirely new product or process that will meet customer requirements.

Thus, the Six Sigma philosophy aims to bring about improvements in profitability and productivity. It can be applied to any organization, big or small and focuses on bringing about a reduced cycle time, reducing waste and developing better time management with a systematic approach to problem solving.

Business leaders have to decide what is necessary for their particular organization, and focus on improving and sustaining the gains.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution’s Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for six sigma professionals including, lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

The Six Sigma Cycle of Change

The most effective way to sustain change is by repeating it from successful experiences. Successful Black Belt and Green Belt projects will help drive change in the company’s culture.

Change is not an overnight process. It happens when you drive results through Six Sigma projects. When the Six Sigma project shows results, everyone involved in the project or related to the project will realize Six Sigma as a disciplined problem-solving technique which is data driven in decision making. When you start experiencing the results, the change culture becomes a part of your life and you do not give it up until you achieve expected results.

However, the starting point of Six Sigma change implementation cycle is what is difficult. Six Sigma change process is a closed cycle. It involves experience results, culture change and change behavior.

Change Behavior

Changing behavior is the starting point of the cycle. You can decide to do things differently. It is not easy to do so, but if you decide and are resolute about going ahead with it, it is very much possible.

Equally necessary is the efforts= to sustain the change. When results are produced reasonably fast it drives a culture change. This culture change will be of a permanent nature.

Culture Change

The power of Six Sigma to create a culture of continuous improvement lies in changing the way work gets done by changing processes and educating people to understand the new process and solving problems with its help. In Six Sigma culture, the knowledge of processes and improvements is spread throughout the organization.

Companies who have succeeded in creating this Six Sigma culture also have leaders with Six Sigma experience.

Experience Results

To realize culture change, you need to experience the results. A positive experience is one where you have delivered results. Through the experiences of positive results, you will be able to start this cycle of change. The leaders with Six Sigma background have first hand experience in applying Six Sigma to problem areas effectively.

They are aware of the complex issues that may arise and the ways to handle them systematically and practically. They lead by example and motivate by influence and not by persuasion. They are aware of ambiguities of the project. They have the art of taking along people on the journey to change even when the path is not clear.

They know how to manage conflicts among the stakeholders, and are good communicators of changes and improvements in the projects. They are able to communicate them to the people concerned – team members and business leaders.

After being involved in the Six Sigma projects, these leaders – mostly Black Belts – assume line management assignments. Being involved with Six Sigma, they have a different viewpoint of the problems. This is cultural change. Leaders are the bearer of the cultural change in the organization. They lead their teams and the organization to change for the better. They can take efforts to sustain change that they have brought out in the process and the organization.

It may be difficult to get the cycle of change rolling. But once it is in motion sustaining it becomes easier. Six Sigma has the energy to build this motion or culture and keep it going.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution’s Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for six sigma professionals including, lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

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