Your cart is currently empty!
-
A Change Agent’s Most Important Personal Attribute
Today I received a call from a person interested in becoming a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Of course, we value him as a customer and he will learn a great deal if he decides to enroll in our Six Sigma training. Among the things he’ll learn are both “hard skills” involving statistics and […]
-
Distinctive Six Sigma Framework: The Power of Change
Successful transformation often demands the amalgamation of various resources. In the business world, some argue that Six Sigma brings nothing novel to the technical toolbox used to advance business processes. Indeed, previous improvement endeavors like Total Quality Management (TQM) do have much in common with Six Sigma, including champions, improvement projects, and sponsors. Yet, Six […]
-
The Pandemic as an Opportunity for Radical Change
In my book The End of Management I describe how complex managed systems such as businesses change. The short version is: they usually don’t. Most business systems are in stable equilibrium most of the time. This state can be thought of in terms of chaos theory and complexity theory. The gist of it is that […]
-
Introduction to Six Sigma Lesson
Course format: Self-paced online training Enrollment duration: 7 days Estimate time commitment: 1 hour Course overview What is Six Sigma? Where did it come from? How is it organized? What is DMAIC? What do the different Six Sigma “change agents” do? This lesson answers these questions and more. Watch a short interactive video lesson, take a […]
-
Six Sigma Frequently Asked Questions
The questions below are from various conferences where I have presented, from reader emails, and from conversations I’ve had with colleagues and clients. If you have a question that isn’t answered here, click the Contact button to send it to me. I can’t guarantee if or when I will be able to respond to your […]
-
Refining the Aim: The Enduring Value of Six Sigma
The year was 1981. Amidst the workings of an aerospace firm, my role bore the title of “Head of Total Quality Systems” (TQS). TQS, a precursor to both Total Quality Management (TQM) and Six Sigma, came into being after a paradigm-shifting seminar held by W. Edwards Deming. This seminar, though initially challenging for my superiors, […]
-
Six Sigma Roadmap for Small Businesses
Many Six Sigma experts have expressed doubt that Six Sigma can be used effectively in small, or even in some medium-sized, organizations. However, while the approach to deployment must be modified, it is possible for small businesses to successfully implement Six Sigma. Here is how. At the outset, several givens must be in place: All […]
-
101 Things a Black Belt Should Know
What would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments.
-
The Crucial Intersection: INTJ Personality and Six Sigma Black Belts
If you’ve ever come across the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), you’ve probably stumbled on the INTJ (Introversion, iNtuition, Thinking, Judgment) personality type. This distinct personality type encompasses independence of thought, individualism, creativity, and an inherent desire for efficiency. And, interestingly enough, it’s a personality type that aligns perfectly with the characteristics we commonly see in […]
-
What is Six Sigma?
For Motorola, the originator of Six Sigma, the answer to the question “Why Six Sigma?” was simple: survival. Motorola came to Six Sigma because it was being consistently beaten in the competitive marketplace by foreign firms that were able to produce higher quality products at a lower cost. When a Japanese firm took over a […]