Today, I got e-mail from a recruiter asking for a Six Sigma Black Belt with heavy experience in some specific type of industry. I thought this was interesting, almost defeating the purpose of being a Six Sigma practitioner.
Six Sigma shows us how to navigate a mess to be able to define a problem (in a nutshell). What does it matter what subject area that problem lies in? A good practitioner should be able to do the drill: Identify the customer, define the problem quantitatively (by asking the right questions), and work through solution options. In problem quantification, it is mostly statistical work.
Again, it is simply my opinion.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Is Six Sigma a Fad only for the Big Guys?
Over ten years old.....I don't think so. But, maybe, I am biased.
It is so clear to me. But, Reinhold questions the validity of the methodology as it applies to small organizations (which comprises majority of business America). He challenged me with a thought that Six Sigma is only for big guys to which I retorted, the small players are using the approach without realizing so. I thought about this. The solution seems to be to stop using the methodology terminology or figure out a way to do the translation.
Interesting though, as I tried to do this, there is nothing in what I wrote that is new or revolutionary. In fact, as I had explained to Reinhold, the words are a way of branding the methodology as a process in itself. There is obviously more work there. But, I'm writing this down as I intend to expound on this thought in the book.
For now, I am trying to write my problem statement, the premise of the book. I am trying to narrow down the audience I will be catering to....
It is so clear to me. But, Reinhold questions the validity of the methodology as it applies to small organizations (which comprises majority of business America). He challenged me with a thought that Six Sigma is only for big guys to which I retorted, the small players are using the approach without realizing so. I thought about this. The solution seems to be to stop using the methodology terminology or figure out a way to do the translation.
Interesting though, as I tried to do this, there is nothing in what I wrote that is new or revolutionary. In fact, as I had explained to Reinhold, the words are a way of branding the methodology as a process in itself. There is obviously more work there. But, I'm writing this down as I intend to expound on this thought in the book.
For now, I am trying to write my problem statement, the premise of the book. I am trying to narrow down the audience I will be catering to....
Friday, March 20, 2009
Six Sigma and your Customer
Why the customer is important is because they are the consumer for the project deliverable, Six Sigma or not. What Six Sigma brings to the table is a toolkit for achieving customer focus.
Step 1 for achieving this is identifying who the customer is for your project. They are the entity that is going to provide you with your project success criteria. It is an important part of this step to make sure you have identified all the customers that have a stake in your project.
This customer base you have identified is going to be the source of your requirement. As simple as this seems, this is not as straight-forward as it sounds. Soliciting requirements from the customer means understanding the customer enough to recognize what they are saying, even if they are not articulating it correctly.
Then, once captured, call it back out to your customer in terms they can understand. Be redundant. Say it how ever many times it takes to have your point clearly communicated.
After having done this, you would have achieved the first goal of your project -- achieving an alliance with your customer. You're on your way!
Step 1 for achieving this is identifying who the customer is for your project. They are the entity that is going to provide you with your project success criteria. It is an important part of this step to make sure you have identified all the customers that have a stake in your project.
This customer base you have identified is going to be the source of your requirement. As simple as this seems, this is not as straight-forward as it sounds. Soliciting requirements from the customer means understanding the customer enough to recognize what they are saying, even if they are not articulating it correctly.
Then, once captured, call it back out to your customer in terms they can understand. Be redundant. Say it how ever many times it takes to have your point clearly communicated.
After having done this, you would have achieved the first goal of your project -- achieving an alliance with your customer. You're on your way!
6Sigma Project Management if you are not a 6Sigma shop......
It is quite interesting how you can be blocked off by a two-word subject line like Six Sigma. (Heck, sometimes it works the opposite way.)
If one were to perform proper project/program management, it should be following the principles of Six Sigma anyway.
I often get flack from folks in smaller organizations who claim that Six Sigma applies to bigger shops. I retort by saying whatever it is they do is really in line with the general philosophy of Six Sigma anyway. For instance, in a small company, a project wouldn't fly unless a quantifiable return to a customer who matters to the business is deemed worth it. That, by itself, is in line with my generalization of the Six Sigma approach to a project -- identifying my customer, quantifying a value to my customer and communicating that value to that customer.
So, case in point. There is no room to consider any other approach in a smaller organization. It may just not be known as Six Sigma.
If one were to perform proper project/program management, it should be following the principles of Six Sigma anyway.
I often get flack from folks in smaller organizations who claim that Six Sigma applies to bigger shops. I retort by saying whatever it is they do is really in line with the general philosophy of Six Sigma anyway. For instance, in a small company, a project wouldn't fly unless a quantifiable return to a customer who matters to the business is deemed worth it. That, by itself, is in line with my generalization of the Six Sigma approach to a project -- identifying my customer, quantifying a value to my customer and communicating that value to that customer.
So, case in point. There is no room to consider any other approach in a smaller organization. It may just not be known as Six Sigma.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Corporate America and the Great Cleanup
I was talking to Reinhold tonight about the Smiling and Dialing session this morning, how there were people who were let go from companies I found jobs in the job boards for.
Back in the days, we theorized that people who are retrenched (let go/layed off -- many terms for losing ones job) were really the 'runt of the litter'. I've come to realize this is not correctly stated. 'Runt of the litter' is really a subject categorization. The way this should be stated should be that the politically savvy survive.
If you are a 'value add' to your organization but are not politically savvy enough to position yourself to be able to convince the organization of this value, you become the proverbial 'runt of the litter'. If all you are is politics and nothing else, you survive the slaughter. The converse, which is being a contributor without minding the politics of your contribution is the dangerous position to be in. You become this 'runt of the litter'.
The big question now is, as corporate America 'cleans up', is it really eliminating the doers? Are we in trouble in corporate America because we are at this threshold where we mostly have no essence and pure politics in our ranks, where the balance is off between doers and plain political animals? Who then is left to do the work?
Back in the days, we theorized that people who are retrenched (let go/layed off -- many terms for losing ones job) were really the 'runt of the litter'. I've come to realize this is not correctly stated. 'Runt of the litter' is really a subject categorization. The way this should be stated should be that the politically savvy survive.
If you are a 'value add' to your organization but are not politically savvy enough to position yourself to be able to convince the organization of this value, you become the proverbial 'runt of the litter'. If all you are is politics and nothing else, you survive the slaughter. The converse, which is being a contributor without minding the politics of your contribution is the dangerous position to be in. You become this 'runt of the litter'.
The big question now is, as corporate America 'cleans up', is it really eliminating the doers? Are we in trouble in corporate America because we are at this threshold where we mostly have no essence and pure politics in our ranks, where the balance is off between doers and plain political animals? Who then is left to do the work?
Saturday, March 14, 2009
6Sigma Demystified
When I think of 6Sigma, I think of three elements -- Customer, the value one needs to deliver to the customer and communicating that value to that customer.
That is obviously not all there is to the Six Sigma methodology, but, sums up why you go throught the exercise of using the tools.....
That is obviously not all there is to the Six Sigma methodology, but, sums up why you go throught the exercise of using the tools.....
Friday, March 13, 2009
Process Improvement using 6Sigma Handbook?
At my last assignment, a client asked me to create a 'cookie cutter' step-by-step for process improvement employing the 6Sigma approach. It took years of experience and Business Excellence training to model the 'common sense' techniques into a recipe I could implement (though no individual step in the process was new to me or even remotely revolutionary).
Sounded impossible at first. But, big ideas are usually many simple ideas ingeniously put together. I started out with a framework of 11 steps, then developed the individual ideas by example, employing a tool in my repertoire. I think, for straight-forward ideas, the recipe should work fine.
I may have just come up with my own version of the steps to improving process. I may elaborate on the idea and turn it into a handbook.
Sounded impossible at first. But, big ideas are usually many simple ideas ingeniously put together. I started out with a framework of 11 steps, then developed the individual ideas by example, employing a tool in my repertoire. I think, for straight-forward ideas, the recipe should work fine.
I may have just come up with my own version of the steps to improving process. I may elaborate on the idea and turn it into a handbook.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Swimming The IT Consulting Market
Interesting how one gets a preview to the competition when placed side by side against them. I relate so much to the ad for The Ladders on TV, of the tennis players on the court, and a hoard of spectators jumping in to volley the ball, and a mess of spectators with racquets.
How does one stand out from among the crowd when everyone has heard of image enhancement techniques and simply follow them without the supporting substance? We all have great looking resumes that we've paid dearly for. Some of us use it to put our best foot forward. Others, to create the image of that best foot. Heck, creating this image has become a full time preoccupation, by itself.
I'll say, join the club! It is no longer value add to just be good and competent. We must spend equal time advertising that value, as well. Even as remote from advertising and communications as we are in the technical arena, we must recognize that if we do not get ourselves up to speed, that that competence gets eclipsed. There's always a chance someone with a lower level of technical skill from us but with better self-promoting skills gets a better rap.
Recognizing this, I shall begin my journey!!!!
How does one stand out from among the crowd when everyone has heard of image enhancement techniques and simply follow them without the supporting substance? We all have great looking resumes that we've paid dearly for. Some of us use it to put our best foot forward. Others, to create the image of that best foot. Heck, creating this image has become a full time preoccupation, by itself.
I'll say, join the club! It is no longer value add to just be good and competent. We must spend equal time advertising that value, as well. Even as remote from advertising and communications as we are in the technical arena, we must recognize that if we do not get ourselves up to speed, that that competence gets eclipsed. There's always a chance someone with a lower level of technical skill from us but with better self-promoting skills gets a better rap.
Recognizing this, I shall begin my journey!!!!
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