| Creating Sustainable Benefits in Lean Six Sigma using | | | | Acceptance' then it is not surprising that we struggle |
| Change Management Process | | | | to get traction (as the equation would predict - |
| Using Change Management Process to achieve | | | | 8*3=24). |
| sustainable benefits in a Lean Six Sigma deployment | | | | Some organizations don't help the Belts with really |
| Many companies struggle to get good traction with | | | | good Six Sigma Champions and Process Owners, fail |
| their Lean Six Sigma deployments. They spend time | | | | to free them up to spend the time they need on |
| training Six Sigma Green Belts and Six Sigma Black | | | | their projects, don't ensure that the correct systems |
| Belts and launch an initial set of projects only to find | | | | and structures are in place to support them, and then |
| that very few of the projects actually get | | | | complain when the belts fail to deliver! |
| completed, and that even fewer are able to create | | | | So important was Change Management to Jack |
| truly sustainable benefits. Why is this and how can it | | | | Welch that he urged those engaged in change within |
| be prevented? | | | | his company to spend 50% of their time on 'A' side |
| The main reason for these issues of traction is that | | | | activities. Yes - you did hear that right - 50%. Now |
| those responsible for the deployment (or perhaps the | | | | GE's CAP programme had a whole bunch of propriety |
| General Leadership within the Company) fail to take | | | | tools to assist the change agents achieve a good 'A' |
| account of the fact that introducing Lean Six Sigma is | | | | score, but there are many other tool sets you can |
| a major change for a Company, and that to be | | | | use. |
| successful Change Management techniques need to | | | | Where: |
| be employed. | | | | Goals - define and communicate a common vision and |
| Jack Welch, who introduced Lean Six Sigma into | | | | objective for the programme |
| General Electric (GE), was well aware of this fact and | | | | Process - develop an implementation plan, tools, |
| utilized a GE programme called 'Change Acceleration | | | | milestones, and determine how to measure results |
| Process', or CAP for short, to manage the Change | | | | Organisation - implement an organizational structure |
| Management side of the deployment. | | | | to support people/skills as mapped to processes and |
| One of the key concepts of CAP is the E=Q*A | | | | goals |
| equation, where 'E' stands for 'The effectiveness of | | | | People - training, motivation, career planning & |
| any change programme', 'Q' stands for the 'Technical | | | | communication |
| Quality' of the programme, and 'A' stands for the | | | | Rewards - plans to recognize success and learn from |
| 'Organisational Acceptance' of the programme. | | | | failure |
| Now imagine we were to mark both the 'Q' side and | | | | Such a model will help ensure you consider all the vital |
| the 'A' side of a deployment with scores ranging | | | | elements, but never underestimate the time and |
| between 1 and 10. Since the overall effectiveness of | | | | effort that will be required to ensure you obtain the |
| the programme 'E' is the product of both 'Q' and 'A', | | | | high 'A' score vital for a successful deployment. |
| then it is clear that we need to get good scores for | | | | What if you are already within a deployment and |
| both to be truly effective (a score of at least 60), | | | | suffering from a lack of traction? Well it's never too |
| and obtain the traction required to achieve a | | | | late to start addressing the Organisational |
| sustainable Lean Six Sigma programme. | | | | Acceptance element of a deployment. Take a |
| Most of us in the Lean Six Sigma community, being | | | | sounding of the gripes of the Belts, the workers and |
| the type of people that we are, will ensure that the | | | | the management and put a plan together to address |
| 'Technical Quality' of our Lean Six Sigma training is | | | | the issues. |
| high. This can be achieved by utilizing a recognized | | | | And remember that sending out a bunch of |
| deployment model from a selection of the well | | | | unsupported BB's and GB's into an environment that |
| known consultancy companies, and so we should | | | | has not been property prepared is about as effective |
| easily obtain an 8 or more score for the 'Q' side of | | | | as sending the troops into 'no mans land' to face the |
| the equation. How many of us could put our hand on | | | | machine guns. Always consider the need for 'Change |
| our hearts and say, however, that we deserve such | | | | Management' unless you're happy to risk your Belts |
| a high score for the 'A' side of the equation? Thus if | | | | being shot down. |
| we can only truly deserve a 2 or 3 for 'Organisational | | | | |