I’m sure everyone reading this article has worked for someone at one point – a manager. And no doubt some of those Managers you worked for were great and some should never have been promoted to a managerial position.
There are numerous skills to being both a Manager and a Six Sigma Black Belt – communicating, delegating, controlling, coordinating, public speaking and presenting, knowledge of statistics – you can actually read the 101 things a six sigma black belt should know here from Thomas Pzydek.
But what makes a great Six Sigma Black Belt?
Six Sigma Black Belts not only excel at some of the above skills but they fundamentally know the difference between ‘inputs’, ‘outputs’ and ‘outcomes’.
They take ‘inputs’ (or Xs in DMAIC talk) and ‘outputs’ (or Ys in DMAIC talk) and create outcomes (i.e. the intended result, the performance or service targeted).
Six Sigma Black Belts take time out and think about results.
Six Sigma Black Belts strive for results
Six Sigma Black Belts plan for results
Six Sigma Black Belts organize themselves and others to produce results
Six Sigma Black Belts implement the right and appropriate controls to deliver the results in a timely manner.
Six Sigma Black Belts communicate and discuss the future results and objectives
Let’s illustrate how annual employee performance reviews are conducted by a normal or average manager and a Six Sigma Black Belt.
Many Managers at this time of year are thinking, planning, organising, controlling and communicating the staff annual performance review.
So the inputs or Xs may be the individual’s previous achievements, feedback from customers and peers, any development undertaken, and completed objectives, or stretch goals.
Outputs or Ys being the actual written performance review, the staff members rating and future development needs, the following years objectives.
Many Managers stop there. That’s it. It’s over and done with. The review is typed up. The staff member has agreed with their written performance review and it gets filed away. Now we can carry on with our day jobs.
The Six Sigma Black Belt will be encouraging the individual to strive for major change in their performance (the ‘outcome’) as a result of the performance review.
Six Sigma Black Belts will work with the individual and put in place a plan to enable the individual to ‘grow’ in their role.
Six Sigma Black Belts organize themselves and the staff member to have the time to develop their learning, maybe go on some self-improvement courses.
Six Sigma Black Belts will implement monthly one-to-ones with the individual to discuss and amend their improvement plan.
Six Sigma Black Belts will ‘paint a picture’ of the future for the individual.
In fact, before the performance review Six Sigma Black Belts will have answers to the following questions:
What difference will the review make?
What would we like the staff member to do differently?
How will the difference be measured and monitored?
How will the department or company benefit?
What controls should be in place to monitor progress?
How will we know if the progress is successful?
Give yourself every opportunity to succeed as a Manager and a Six Sigma Black Belt and start thinking about the Ys.
Thanks to Andrew Rondeau for the basic framework of this article.
