Rath & Strongs Six Sigma Team Pocket Guide

Overview

We expect that readers of this Pocket Guide will have one of two reactions to these tools and approaches:

1. This is exactly what I need to make my Six Sigma projects a success!

2. Am I going to be able to do this? And even if I can, do I have to? I got involved in Six Sigma because I enjoy using my analytical ability. Can’t everyone just be logical and rational so we can get these projects done?

While we hope that you’ve had the first reaction, we recognize why you might have the second. So to anyone with those concerns, we respond:

1. Yes, you can do this. While using the tools may not come naturally at first, neither do many other things that later become second nature. (Think of learning to drive.) And you’ll have the Pocket Guide to fall back on.

2. No, you don’t have to ... but you may want to, for two reasons:

   • You can’t force or “logic” people into supporting your project. Though force may sometimes appear to work, it’s generally not an effective approach ... nor does this enhance your reputation in the organization. Further, when people consider whether they will support you, they do not rely on logic alone (sometimes they don’t rely on it at all!).

   • Practicing the approaches described in this book can help your career. People with both technical and team/influence skills are much more promotable and marketable than those with only one or the other.

So what should you do now?

Project Team Leaders:

• Introduce your team members to the Pocket Guide and its concepts, and encourage them to get familiar with the approaches and tools.

• Tell the team you’re committed to following the guide as the team does its project work.

• Invite the team to work together on stakeholder identification, analysis, and planning. Not only will this result in a better plan (since it will be based on the knowledge of several people), but it also gets the team working together.

• If your company selects and/or promotes Black Belts at least partly on the basis of suitability for future leadership positions, let your manager know about your new team and influence skills.

• Introduce the Pocket Guide concepts to whoever is responsible for Master Black Belt, Black Belt, and Green Belt development. The more people who use the guide’s tools and approaches on their projects, the better for the overall Six Sigma initiative.

Project Team Members:

• If your project team leader introduces the Pocket Guide to the team, cooperate in following the approaches and tools.

• If your team leader doesn’t have the Pocket Guide, introduce him/her to it, and suggest that the team start using the approach and tools. Do this one on one (not in front of the team), and prior to the first team meeting if possible. You might want to show the team leader the chapters on preparing for and running the first team meeting.

• Even if the team doesn’t adopt the Pocket Guide, use the tools on your own piece of the project work.

All:

• Think about previous Six Sigma (or other) projects you’ve worked on. Identify ways the project might have gone more smoothly or where it might have run into trouble. Think of what might have been the root cause(s) of any nontechnical problems you encountered during that project. Consider whether and how you could have benefited from using the approaches and tools outlined in this guide.

• Think about your current project and how it’s progressing. Identify which of the tools in the Pocket Guide you could use right now to make the project go more smoothly.

• If you’re interested in attending a workshop that teaches these techniques in detail, contact Rath & Strong.

This guide is designed to increase your ability to get your Six Sigma projects completed successfully. Whether you’re leading the project team, participating part-time, or providing subject matter expertise when needed, the tools in the Pocket Guide can help you contribute to the project’s success.

We hope you’ve found it useful.