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Countering the False Notion that Six Sigma is Elitist
Written by: Peter Peterka
Too often, when people think of Six Sigma and black belts they
see them as having an elitist connotation. The opinion that Six
Sigma is elitist or that black belts are elitist, however, are
false. In its purest form Six Sigma is a "way of life" for an
organization serious about process improvement. It just happens
to have certain characteristics that people like to throw stones
at. That some people have come to believe this false notion is
because they have misinterpreted the nature of Six Sigma and not
seen the complete picture.
There is an air of mysteriousness that surrounds what Six Sigma
black belts do. People experience projects where black belts are
left alone to crunch numbers and work on long projects in
isolated offices far from the factory floor. They wonder what
exactly happens behind the scenes and not knowing, become
apprehensive. This is especially true when they know the
outcomes will affect them. If employees have not received any
training in Six Sigma, their ignorance about the processes will
lead them to mistrust and even fear the Six Sigma project and
the experts guiding the project.
Other people have developed resentment toward Six Sigma
consultants themselves. Certainly, there are some individual
consultants who are arrogant, uncooperative, and insensitive to
others. That, though, reflects on that individual and does not
represent Six Sigma. There are people in all fields and
professions who are not nice or have an inflated opinion of
themselves. Six Sigma is not about self-aggrandizement. It is
not about lording over people. Unfortunately, some people are
more concerned with obtaining a Six Sigma certification than
with appreciating what the newly acquired skills will allow them
to deliver to their organization. The priority of Six Sigma
training should be to deliver value to one's business and to the
customers of one's business. Training to become a Six Sigma team
leader gives one skills and tools, but doesn't give one a right
to be elitist.
Six Sigma is about getting everyone involved. A Six Sigma
project forms a team of people who work together to identify
problems and develop solutions. Such teams are not elitist teams
rearranging the world for everyone else to live in. These teams
are serving the organization by employing the skills and tools
they have learned to increase quality and reduce defects. The
Six Sigma black belts who are leading these teams are likewise
seeking only to lend their skills learned through training.
There are plenty of ways to fail and it is always convenient to
blame the tool. If you look hard enough though, the failure is
the fault of a lack of planning and training. If an organization
does not plan properly and train properly, there is no doubt
about the outcome of that program. If management truly has their
eye on the goals and is intent on providing quality products and
services, then Six Sigma can keep everyone focused and part of
the team. The reality is that Six Sigma isn't glamorous and it
isn't sexy. It is just plain hard work.
Countering the false idea that Six Sigma is elitist is part of
ensuring the success of your Six Sigma initiatives. The best way
to do that is training all members of your organization in basic
Six Sigma concepts can go a long way toward taking away the
mysteriousness of Six Sigma and the elitist misconception some
people have. Give people the knowledge and tools they need to do
the job and they will thrive. Help all the members of your
organization understand what Six Sigma does and how it does it.
Not everyone needs to go through all of the Six Sigma training
required to reach black belt qualification, but there are simple
programs you can put in place to help people learn Six Sigma
basics. If you look only to the number crunching part of Six
Sigma and ignore the organizational and human side, ignorance,
and the resentment that comes from it, are inevitable. Including
everyone affected by the Six Sigma project and giving them
information they need to understand what is going on and how
they can contribute will yield dividends.
Peter Peterka is President of
Six Sigma us. For additional information on Six Sigma DMAIC or other Six Sigma
Black Belt Certification project programs contact Peter
Peterka.
About the author:
Peter Peterka is the Principal Consultant in practice areas of
DMAIC and DFSS. Peter has eleven years of experience performing
as a Master Black Belt, and has over 15 years experience in
industry as an improvement specialist and engineer working with
numerous companies, including 3M, Dell, Dow, GE, HP, Intel,
Motorola, Seagate, Xerox and even the US Men's Olympic Team.
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