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An effective Lean Six Sigma Deployment Champion has 3 distinct traits
We teach hundreds of Change Agents or agent of change (Lean Six Sigma Green Belts, Black Belts, etc.) per year in our private onsite and public classes. Those Change Agents paired with trained and experienced Lean Six Sigma Deployment Champions have a much greater chance of success in completing their projects. They provide a faster and increased ROI from their projects.
An effective Lean Six Sigma Deployment Champion in our experience, has three distinct traits:
Leads by Metrics
These Champions realize the power of Data! Their department or site is governed by well defined KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators). These KPI’s are cascaded down to the operator level so each team member knows how they are affecting the success of the organization. The Lean Six Sigma Deployment Champion chooses and priorities CI (Continuous Improvement) projects by their effect on those KPI’s.
Acts as “the Bulldozer” for Deployment
The easiest way to kill the spirit of a Change Agent is to throw unnecessary road blocks in their way. Without an Effective Lean Six Sigma Deployment Champion, the Change Agent will “step in someone’s sand box and get punched in the eye.” The Change Agent will take on a cross functional project that takes them into other departments. Those Departmental Leaders might not be open to that Change Agent.
Enter the Lean Six Sigma Deployment Champion who is high enough on the food chain to educate the Department Leaders as to why the KPI’s have identified the project as critical.
Is the “Cheerleader”
I’m sure you have heard the saying “Lead by Example.” If the organization is promoting Lean Six Sigma and your Champions are not “walking the talk,” you will follow their example. The Champion has to be the Cheerleader for the Lean Six Sigma Deployment. They have to promote these methodologies, not as something we might do, but “the way we do things moving forward.” The Lean Six Sigma Deployment Champion promotes these methodologies with training and feedback. They promote these methodologies by tying the outcomes with their effect on KPI’s. They educate their teams about “what’s in it for me.”
What is the Key Input for a successful Deployment?
One of the Key Inputs to a Successful Lean Six Sigma Deployment is to have Effective Lean Six Sigma Deployment Champions. These Champions manage the Change Agents. They help to Define and Prioritize Lean Six Sigma Projects by their alignment with KPI’s. They make sure that Change Agents do not fight hierarchical battles. They promote Lean Six Sigma through education and feedback.
What do you think?
Do you agree with the “Three Most Important Traits of a Successful Lean Six Sigma Deployment Champion” that we have identified?
I often say the job #1 for an effective Champion is to receive bad news well. Receiving bad news well means that every action following the receipt of bad news is intentionally focused on being constructive rather than destructive.
Even in the face of failure being reported, a sage Champion will celebrate integrity and transparency. Identify the depth and breadth of causal factors and develop a team strategy to prevent future occurrences of failure and mitigate the adverse effects of whatever failure occurred.
Remember the statement of Harry S, Truman, “The Buck Stops Here”. Inasmuch, blame is far less relevant than solutions.
Awesome response. A Champion should be a cheerleader (emphasis on the word “leader”). A champion does not have an agenda but uses data to solve root causes to create a better environment for their team.