Table of contents
What is a Six Sigma Green Belt?
Six Sigma Green Belts are professionals who have a deep understanding of advanced Six Sigma Methodology elements. Six Sigma Green Belt certification costs are responsible for leading improvement projects, but they can also be a part of larger improvement projects led by Black Belts.
Six Sigma Green Belts are well-versed in Six Sigma Methodology and DMAIC. Green Belt certified professionals are highly skilled in the implementation, performance, interpretation, and application of Lean Six Sigma.
Beware the 300-dollar Six Sigma Green Belt Certification
This is a question I was asked recently by an SVP at a customer engagement: “Kevin, what is the future of Lean and Six Sigma?” He added: “I’m hearing that it is becoming less popular.” I knew the underlying reason for his question was the fact that their deployment was not producing results. One of the key inputs to the failure of his organization’s deployment was the hiring of “Paper Belts.”
I browse the web often to see the trends and variations in the cost and scope of different Lean Six Sigma Certifications. I’m amazed at how easy it is to get a Certification (the paper). I was searching the keywords in Google “Six Sigma Dallas” and found the cost of a six sigma green belt certification for under $300! Apparently, you can get a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification by watching a few short webinars and taking a test.
The “Short Cut Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification”
Because the Lean and Six Sigma methodologies are widely unregulated, there are many companies out there that offer these “shortcut” Certifications. Many experienced Lean and Six Sigma practitioners refer to the recipients of these “shortcut” Certifications as “Paper Belts.” Unfortunately, many companies have unwittingly hired these “Paper Belts.” Consequently, this often results in a failed deployment and a sentiment that Lean and Six Sigma do not work.
What are the traits of an effective training company?
What are some important traits of an effective Lean Six Sigma training and Certification organization?
Willing to “Give it away for Free”
My colleagues and I learned early on to give away our knowledge for free. We pride ourselves on being mentors and teachers. We know these methodologies can change lives and organizations. Becoming an effective Certified Change Agent is a significant investment and the customer wants to feel comfortable with their training provider’s skill, experience, and ability to train.
How do you know that we “know what we are talking about?” We pull the knowledge from our heads and put it on the web in the form of informative blogs (or articles). These articles give you a glimpse into how we think. These articles are stories about our experiences at the different organizations that we have worked with. There are articles that guide you through the use of statistical tools. We have articles that take you through a full Root Cause Analysis Tool Set. These articles can be found at https://sixsigmadsi.com/category/ssdsi-blog/.
Provides student support throughout the Lean Six Sigma Certification process.
The Lean and Six Sigma methodologies are complex to the beginner. Taking a 5 or 10-day class and being expected to complete a project is daunting. In my experience, without a coach or a mentor, the projects seldom get completed.
Before, during, and after our Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and Black Belt courses we provide you with support. Before class, we work with you to find an effective, properly scoped project that will provide ROI for your organization.
During the project, we provide support by helping you apply the tools and methodology to your project in class as we teach.
After the class, we give you access to several online and print resources to aid you in your project. We also provide you access to a Master Black Belt mentor. We have very strict rules around using the MBB as a mentor. In class, we set the policy that the MBB is the student’s last resort. We want the students to hone their critical thinking skills by utilizing the other resources we give them to find the answer before engaging the MBB.
Provides a well defined Roadmap to Lean Six Sigma Project completion
There are many companies that have very engaging training that enamors the students. When the training is completed, the students leave excited and with a thick binder. They go back to their workplace and go back to their reactive modes. When they start their project, they are confused as to the sequence of steps to get started. This confusion quickly leads to procrastination. Procrastination leads to a lack of focus and eventually an unfinished project.
At SSDSI, we partner with Thomas Dunbar at Dunbar Innovations to give the student an online project management solution called “My Hawkeye.” This solution allows us to build an infrastructure for each student to complete their project. In “My Hawkeye,” we have built Tollgates for the Lean and Six Sigma Methodologies. These tollgates are a series of questions for each phase of the DMAIC, DFSS, PDCA, etc. that act as a road map for the student. The “My Hawkeye” system allows the instructor to track the progress of the project making sure that the project milestones are met.
If you are interested in becoming a certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt, let’s schedule a conversation and set up a strategy for you to reach your goals. Contact me (Kevin Clay) at [email protected] or call me at 241-731-3176.
Take the first step on the road to Green Belt by completing the Lean Six Sigma White Belt Certification. The White Belt Certification is the first 4 hours of the 40-hour Green Belt Course.
It is amazing how something as beneficial as Six Sigma can be diluted. It has gotten to the point that you are able to “attend” an online presentation and just work your way through the slides and at the end is your “certification” If you do not have to work at something and it just seems easy be very skeptical. The market is changing and we are seeing many more requests for proper credentials of a BB’s knowledge, the many subpar providers are nearing the end of their reign and organizations are realizing that not all certified Belts are created equally. Don Drury — CEO – SSMI (Six Sigma Management Institute)