6 SIGMA TEAMS: LEADERSHIP SKILLS

A project manager for a Lean 6 Sigma project must have unique responsibilities for ensuring effective team interactions that result in positive outcomes. This challenging position necessitates someone with strong leadership qualities and the ability to motivate project teams to achieve their full potential.

Team Leaders in Lean 6 Sigma

A Lean 6 Sigma team leader’s position is critical to a project’s successful adoption. They act as a coach, mentor, leader, facilitator, mediators, and other roles to the project team from start to end.

A project’s success or failure is directly proportional to the team leader’s effectiveness. A project team without a strong leader is Captainless ships, and intersections with no traffic lights are just like that. Doing a lot may look like the team is getting things done. But the truth is, they are not lacking direction, work in chaos, and they will fail.

Each candidate’s traits must be considered when choosing a team leader for a Lean 6 Sigma project. The following are a few of the most crucial characteristics:

Lean Six Sigma Certification Level

Experience and abilities in management

Integrity and personal qualities

Mentality for business

Their commitment to their work is evident.

To choose the rest of the project team, the team leader usually collaborates with the rest of the Lean 6 Sigma team and the process owner. Their advice and active participation in the selection process are crucial because they allow the team leader to help form a group that will function well together in the months ahead.

Qualities of a 6 Sigma Leader

The traits of leadership required of a Lean 6 Sigma team leader are both universal and unique to the Lean Six Sigma methodology. Each quality is present at extraordinary levels in a good Lean 6 Sigma team leader across many industries and applications.

What qualities make a good leader? Experts in Lean 6 Sigma may use a variety of terms and labels to describe each grade, but they usually fall into one of the following groups:

Managing Projects

Solving a Problem

Dynamics of the Group

Client-centred

Expertise in Management

Know-How

Integrity

The Importance of Leadership Quality

Project management means looking after all the parts of a project from beginning to end: resources, time, team members, and 6 Sigma processes.

Anticipate potential issues and obstacles when solving problems.

Create solutions to problems that arise unexpectedly.

Facilitation of team dynamics.

Motivation.

Dispute resolution

Assist the team in progressing through standard stages of development (forming, storming, norming, performing).

Customer Focus: Paying attention to internal and external customers’ demands.

Advocate for the customer to be the final judge of quality.

Understanding and applying alignment between project results and overall corporate strategies is a business skill.

Pay close attention to the financial results.

Attention to competitive issues.

Understanding data and statistics is a technical skill.

Analytical abilities

The Six Sigma approach is second nature to me.

Integrity: Trustworthy.

Well-liked.

Respected.

Open and honest communication.

Doing the right thing is a commitment.

Lean 6 Sigma Team Leaders Training

In most circumstances, the Lean 6 Sigma team leader will be a Black Belt; however, if the project is smaller or less complex, the post may be filled by a Green Belt. Hands-on experience and training are also crucial; therefore, the team leader will have worked on past Lean Six Sigma initiatives.

The quantity of training required for a Lean  6 Sigma team leader in the Six Sigma community is debatable. While Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification remains the “gold standard” for team leaders, some argue that team leaders should be leaders first and Lean Six Sigma Black Belts second.

According to conventional wisdom, it is easier for someone with excellent leadership skills to obtain 6 Sigma training than for someone with intense Lean Six Sigma training to acquire leadership skills. However, for a team leader to perform well, both sets of abilities – leadership and Six Sigma – must be present, and the skills acquired sequence is irrelevant.

Leaders of Lean 6 Sigma Teams: Success Strategies

All Lean 6 Sigma teams go through several stages and processes to arrive at the ultimate project results. Each step along the route gives the team leader new difficulties and opportunities, necessitating new leadership and management tactics to achieve success.

Success Tips for Leaders of Lean 6 Sigma Teams

Exercises to help build teams.

Roles and expectations are made clear.

As a team, set ground rules.

Ascertain that everyone on the team is actively participating.

Open and honest communication is essential.

Obstacles and Impediments: Think about possible problems.

Facilitate the team’s actions when problems arise.

Team members should learn how to solve problems and act in a good way.

Intervene on behalf of the team when it’s needed.

Encourage the use of new ideas.

Team Motivation: Find out what motivates each member of your team.

Keep praising and rewarding your team’s good work all the time.

Encourage team members to help each other.

When necessary to take a break or go on a team-building or motivational trip, ask for it!

Then, help and talk to team members who get angry or discouraged as they go along.

Establish rules for communication and conflict resolution before you have problems.

Provide tools for resolving conflict.

Manage your team’s morale so that you can think of ways to avoid or avoid conflict.

Assist in conflict resolution activities.

Recognize that people on your team have different levels of comfort with conflict.

Facilitate gathering “lessons learned” from team members at the end of the project.

Ensure there is an excellent way to celebrate a project completed.

Make sure that everyone on your team gets the accolades they deserve.

Give them one-on-one coaching and feedback to help team members grow professionally or personally.

JK Michaels institute also offers other products and courses, including ARE YOU A LEAN SIX SIGMA LEADER?, BLACK BELT CERTIFICATION, ADVANCED CONFLICT RESOLUTION COURSE, and LEAN SIX SIGMA BLACK BELT TRAINING |ACTION LEARNING.

(Opens in a new browser tab)