Srijit Chatterjee

This post is really helpful for all Six Sigma aspirants. Many thanks.

yes absolutely

Hi All, I completely agree with the views shared by predecessors. I would like to add, it is true for initial stage as it is difficult to convince all employees either in top-down or bottom- up approach.But, once we start the Six Sigma initiative without mentioning technical jargon or statistics concepts, we can take buy-in from Senior Management. I would like to mention some typical roadblocks and solutions (the same I mentioned in different blogs). 1. Lean Six Sigma is a fad .By who – •Expressed by top leadership. When and why – •After hearing preliminary things about Lean and Six Sigma. .How to deal with it – •Show them the benefits of Lean Six Sigma by implementing a small scale pilot project or suggesting an implementation. 2.Lean Six Sigma is too statistical .By who – •Expressed by top leadership and also employees. .When and why – •After learning Six Sigma is a statistical approach. .How to deal with it – • Black belts can help them overcome this resistance by explaining one or two statistical tools. 3.Why should one change? .By who – •Expressed by top leadership. .When and why – •After hearing Lean Six Sigma will enforce a culture change. .How to deal with it – •By explaining change is imperative. It helps in keeping an organization competitive in the market. .By who – •Expressed by employees. .When and why – •Employees enjoy being in a comfort zone. .How to deal with it – •By changing, competitiveness to the organization can be ensured, along with upgrading the skills. 4.Non – cooperation from employees .By who – •Expressed by employees. .When and why – •Typically happens while implementing new process, due to resistance to adapt to new processes. •Also, due to fear of admitting mistakes of the past. .How to deal with it – •Build trust in employees that they wouldn’t be penalized for past mistakes. •Encourage the “Move Ahead” philosophy. •Ensure employees are involved in designing and setting up the new processes. The starting point is: To communicate and ensure employees are convinced not to resist change. Important: No use of ‘force tactics’ to convince employees. 5.Wrong team members .By who – •Observed within the team members. .When and why – •Happens when a team has several members possessing the same skill-sets. Duplication of thoughts leads to change efforts falling flat. No creativity or lack of creativity in ideas is perceived. .How to deal with it – •Choose team members on different skill-sets. •Choose team members based on four factors: .Capability; .Creativity; .Willingness; and .Ability. Wish you all a good luck for Lean Sigma journey. Many thanks, Srijit Chatterjee (Process Improvement Manager, PWC)