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The Model Applied to Six Sigma Implementation

This chapter described an approach in which training serves as a strategic lever for accelerating business results for key clients. We have described the Align-Mobilize-Accelerate-Govern framework, the action learning methodology, and the role that performance contracting plays in integrating these activities with our business partners. Although we used a sales acceleration case study, this model has been best applied in the implementation of the Six Sigma quality management methodology to transform businesses and dramatically improve business results. The story is important because when Motorola introduced the Six Sigma quality management methodology in the late 1980s, the implementation strategy served primarily as a wide-scale, global-training initiative. While Motorola experienced significant returns on its training investments during the first few years, after a few years it became clear that a training-focused strategy would not achieve results that were either breakthrough in nature or sustainable over time. Faced with that reality, Motorola University tapped into its experience with action learning, change acceleration, and performance contracting to develop an implementation strategy that delivers results for Motorola business units, as well as its suppliers and customers. When viewed in its entirety, the Six Sigma implementation model provides a useful example of the integration of action learning, change acceleration, and performance contracting to achieve sustainable, breakthrough, business results.

Six Sigma ImplementationPhase One

A key tenet of a Six Sigma business improvement campaign is achieving bottom-line business results in an accelerated timeframe. Six Sigma does not measure success by hours of courseware completed but rather by achievement of results against pre-established goals in the areas of process improvement, financial gains, customer satisfaction, and innovation and growth. Establishing the goals in these categories requires an understanding of current performance levels as well as desired performance. During Phase One of the Six Sigma implementation, our activities map directly into the Alignment stage of the broad implementation framework and the preparation step of the action learning model. The performance gap analysis is completed, and the performance contract is negotiated.

Conducting a full performance excellence audit, as described earlier in this chapter, serves as the preferred approach to a performance gap analysis within the Six Sigma implementation. That audit yields data in all four results categories and generates targets of improvement opportunities. The audit itself can be performed as a wide-scale extensive audit or with a focused, cross-functional team that generates a "mini-baseline" assessment.

Upon completion of the baseline audit, the implementation moves to the leadership alignment workshop. During this two-day workshop, the business leadership team works together to develop a consensus picture of its current reality and its desired improvements.

The team learns the Six Sigma business improvement approach and then works through a series of activities that generate the following: a prioritized set of customer expectations, a Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis (covered earlier in this chapter), a situation analysis, and a prioritized set of strategic objectives. While the audit results feed these activities, the team adds its perspective on the current state of the business. Having reached consensus on the current reality, the leadership team then moves to an activity that allows it to establish metrics in each of the four categories (process improvement, financial gains, customer satisfaction, and innovation and growth) and establish stretch goals in each category for the Six Sigma business improvement campaign. After establishing the goals, the leadership team works together to identify the key performance drivers within each category. Those performance drivers point directly to specific improvement opportunities, and the specific improvement opportunities become the basis for launching cross-functional teams that are chartered to achieve specific improvements within a four- to six-month timeframe. The performance goals and the team charters established during this two-day leadership alignment workshop become the basis for the performance contract with this business team. In addition to agreement regarding the performance goals and the project charters as part of the performance contract, the business unit leadership team agrees both to the resources required to support the projects (people, time, and money) and to actively engage in an ongoing project review process. This process allows it to show visible support and provide critical business guidance on a periodic basis throughout the campaign. With agreement on these critical elements, the implementation campaign moves to Phase TwoMobilize the teams and conduct training workshops.

Six Sigma ImplementationPhase Two

With clear charters, clear outcome-based goals in hand, and enthusiastic sponsorship of their leaders, the teams are staged for success. Real success in an accelerated timeframe requires that team members receive training in processes and tools that will enable new insight and breakthrough ideas relative to solutions for these performance improvement opportunities.

The key activity during Phase Two, therefore, is the delivery of focused training workshops that build team understanding of the Six Sigma continuous improvement methodology. At the same time, individuals who play critical roles in the implementation receive focused leadership training and intensive technical training. For example, the managers, or Champions, directly responsible for the teams' results receive leadership skills training focused on empowering the team to make decisions and execute quickly and understanding the Six Sigma methodology in enough detail to provide the team with management coaching.

Team leaders, or Black Belts, receive more than 150 hours of training delivered in four week-long segments spread across four months. During these intensive technical workshops, the Black Belts learn the DMAIC methodology and the statistical tools available to add precision and deep analysis to the problem solving. Throughout this training the Black Belt candidates also develop their team leadership and project management skills. In keeping with the action learning methodology, these Black Belts work on their specific projects during these workshops and receive expert (Master Black Belt) coaching back on the job during the weeks in between the monthly workshops. This application of the action learning method allows the instructors to review project data during the workshops and allows coaches to keep the projects on track during the intervening weeks. As a result, the Black Belt candidates develop quickly and the projects deliver their results, on time, as promised.

The final target population for training is the team members (called Green Belts). Green Belt team members learn the problem-solving model, the key tools to support the model, and the roles and responsibilities of a team member in a project-team environment. The goal of the Green Belt training is to provide them with the skills they need to support their team leader in delivering the results of the project to which they have been assigned.

Six Sigma ImplementationPhase Three

Phase Three of the Six Sigma implementation parallels the structured on-the-job activities step in the action learning model. As we mentioned earlier, a key on-the-job activity in Six Sigma implementation is the expert coaching Black Belts and teams receive at set intervals across the life of their projects. The systematic, rigorous review of the projects built into the performance contract and implementation plan serves as the most important activity in this stage.

There are two levels of review for the projects. Champions (operational managers closest to the projects) receive weekly feedback from the Black Belts on the projects' progress, and the projects do not move to the next stage of completion until the Champion has signed off on the project review. A more strategic review of the project occurs on a monthly basis. During these formal reviews, the Black Belts present their projects to the Champions and to a senior leader steering committee. The Black Belts demonstrate their progress on their commitments, test potential solutions with senior leaders, and make their case for additional resources or changes in project scope where necessary. Through these review processes the teams and the projects stay tightly linked to the desired business results, and leaders stay actively engaged in the process. The ensuing tightly managed business improvement campaign achieves the predicted business results in the timeframe expected.

Ongoing Monitoring of Results

The final element of the Six Sigma