Six Sigma Is Best Served With Champions

What would you call a hybrid cross between Achilles the ancient warrior and Hilary Clinton? The best answer would be the successful six sigma champions. But you might be surprised to find out how hard it can be to find such a complete six sigma champion. The characteristics of these champions consist of top diplomatic skills, the heart of a warrior, great at business operations interface, pace mediation, project selection and implementation rules.

Champions must also possess knowledge of every aspect of the business, start to finish, top to bottom, including the technology being used in the processes. Excellent champions oversee operations and never give solution answers unless they are ask. This is different that the black belts that have expertise in process/project matters. Six sigma champions have strategic business objectives and deal with operational level alignments as primary goals. This is a good guide line or project reviews and not tools for black belt micromanaging.

The stress of the six sigma project selection for champions to pick a project and implement it can cause odd and unusual surprise reactions; much like the deer in the headlights picture. The problems begin to surface when the champion must black belts to projects. Human factors can always shoulder the blame, but the real reasons for such reactions by champions are still unknown. It might stem from the suggestion that many champions view this as a career damping decision and never an opportunity to improve the process at this stage. Businesses are also instructed by the six sigma providers to stress upper level interaction with operations level people improvements to stabilize the shaky situation. The success key involves excellent alignment from the bottom to the top.

The beginning of any of the six sigma plan deployment, will start with the selection of one or more implementation persons and not uncommon for the company to choose an internal specialist. This is a choice to help save money from the start. Who ever is in charge should completely focus on a successful roll out and not be sidetracked by other factors. Be careful when selecting a outside consultant who might have the mind of greed rather than a mind for what will benefit the organization the most.

Internal sponsors should always be very knowledgeable about the six sigma plans, or failure is a certain few steps away. A internal expert and the six sigma provider are usually the best combination for a successful deployment. Specific targets that will maximize customer satisfaction, along with goals as well as increased position in the business world is what a good constructed plan will offer. A hasty completion goal is also a recipe for failure. Making the right selections concerning key people, always being in the middle of the deployment and overseeing all the decisions is the expected functions of six sigma champions.