Many organizations have, with varying degrees of success, tried to implement project management in their organizations. The success rate depends on the awareness of the people undergoing the Lean Six Sigma Program. If the assumption is that LSS is mere flavor of the month, the implementation and outcome takes a hit.
Once the awareness is created, the next obstacle to tackle is to align the approach of non-belt team members. They may suggest that they have no clue of fishbone diagram or do not feel comfortable participating because they do not understand the LSS jargon. Other times, like in healthcare, the director may be aware of the tools but believes that LSS does not yield any results that are positive.
But the key to tackle this resistance and bring participation is also in the Lean Six Sigma tool box itself- the concept tree.
When the author(of the article) sat at the table where the discussion was around the turnaround time, he saw that maps were made and time was recorded, benchmarking was completed, conferences were attended. But the group was discouraged because they were yet to pin point from where they should start working. So they author introduced The concept tree to them.
Application of concept tree-
- Brainstorming
- Charting the hierarchy of the small projects
- Compartmentalizing topics
- Making strategic decisions
The group followed simple steps-
Step 1 – They listed their central goal
Step 2 – They broke the goal down to sub goals
Step 3- Lather, rinse, repeat
The group experienced clarity. They experience renewal of energy and formation of ideas. And Lean Six Sigma was embraced.
See full story on isixsigma.com