7 ESSENTIAL TRAITS FOR SUCCESSFUL SIX SIGMA BELTS

Six Sigma belts are well rounded leaders that possesses the seven essential trait to be consistently successful. The tools and techniques employed in Six Sigma can provide those who desire to be Six Sigma belts with a very effective strategy for making better decisions due to its focus on ensuring that any type of business operation is successful and efficient. As a result, six Sigma approaches have gained great accolades for their efficacy in process improvement across various corporate industries. When they’re together with capable leaders, they can produce excellent results.

Five attributes stand out among the core leadership traits that Six Sigma belts ought to possess. Leaders who want to transition into Six Sigma project management should polish and develop the attributes listed below to obtain a competitive advantage.

We all know how powerful Six Sigma approaches are in various industries but combining these methodologies with excellent leaders may accomplish remarkable outcomes. Seven qualities stand out among the most common Six Sigma leadership features. Developing and polishing these attributes could assist executives going up the Six Sigma management ladder to gain a competitive advantage.

1. Customer Representation

It should be easier for a Six Sigma belts to interact with the rest of the team and help them understand that consumers (both external and internal) are the last judges of a product’s or service’s quality and that they are the ones who benefit from the process’s outcomes. Process improvement begins with an understanding of the customer’s demands. As a result, a Six Sigma leader will always be able to demonstrate how removing variation from processes is critical to overall business improvement.

2. Active Inquiry

Six Sigma belts who genuinely grasp the importance of active listening can help their teams solve problems more effectively. When team members feel comfortable sharing their perspectives from their unique viewpoints, the leader can obtain a different view, leading to a more effective execution method or team strategy. Listening is the first step to compelling issue solving.

3. Clear and concise communication

Six Sigma belts are excellent communicators, which is a necessary skill given the expected various tasks they are to fill: coaches, trainers, and mentors. They must communicate with (and be understood by) numerous audiences, ranging from top management to shop floor personnel. Knowing what the audience wants and being able to personalize a message to address those needs is the true mark of a good communicator. Once a Six Sigma leader has developed these skills, they will be able to quickly design presentations that communicate the process improvement project in a way that will elicit support from the audience.

4. Eagle Eyes

Strong leaders keep track of long-term objectives while accomplishing short-term performance criteria by understanding the whole topography of the work environment while keeping track of minor details. Simultaneously, a thorough awareness of a complicated work environment allows for mid-course alterations if necessary. A crucial leadership talent to have is the ability to be flexible and responsive while keeping the project on track.

5. Leadership and Passion

Six Sigma belts must be self-motivated, show initiative, and have a positive demeanour. They will call upon to be the team’s cheerleaders, assisting them in moving forward productively. When a project isn’t going as planned, the leader’s passion gives them the strength to keep trying.

They must demonstrate an experienced change agent and challenger of the status quo in the past, regardless of their position. For example, employees may be irritated by changes to an organisation’s established practices and how to conclude them. Leaders who are change agents, on the other hand, figure out how to make changes while also gaining support for them.

6. Patience.

While patience may appear counterintuitive in today’s fast-paced workplaces, it is a vital leadership trait to cultivate. For a company to succeed, it must develop a plan that implements change logically, organised, and efficiently. In this case, there is a need for patience. Taking the time to inform stakeholders about future changes in procedures or goods can result in more positive customer feedback and higher team productivity. When it comes to establishing intelligent and responsive systems that can handle the demands of quickly changing work environments, communication and patience go hand in hand.

7. Technical know-how and project management skills

Six Sigma implementation is done one project at a time. As a result, leaders must remember that they’re in charge of the entire project, from scoping to creating needs and resources to scheduling and assessing variance viewpoints. A graduate of engineering or statistics does not require a Six Sigma leader, but the credentials are advantageous in some circumstances.

Conclusion: While knowledge is vital for effective leadership, up-and-coming leadership attributes and “soft talents” can supplement business theory and other related experiences. It is critical for Six Sigma belts seeking advanced leadership roles to set aside time to cultivate the attributes necessary to succeed at higher levels of leadership. Continuing professional development, executive mentoring and coaching, and executive mentoring are all strategies to foster the progress required to maintain current and responsive leadership abilities in the coming decades.

Although technical knowledge is required to be an effective Six Sigma leader, some soft skills and leadership attributes are also necessary to supplement business theory. Six Sigma professionals who want to be leaders should seek out mentors and coaches and engage in ongoing professional development.

JK Michaels institute also offers other products and courses, including ARE YOU A LEAN SIX SIGMA LEADER?, COACHING AND MENTORING, COACHING AND MENTORING COURSE, CERTIFIED LIFE COACH TRAINING, and WHAT ARE PMP AND PRINCE2 CERTIFICATION?. (Opens in a new browser tab)