What makes you a good worker doesn't necessarily make you a good leader. Sometimes the characteristics that are bred from previous successes are detrimental to leadership. Anyone who has worked in an organization that promotes based on seniority and not on fit will understand this sentiment. There are many personalities in the workplace and being a hard working subject matter expert does not always equate to being a good captain. For this reason, I thought it would be helpful to list some habits every great coach should have:
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Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a great tool for improving system reliability and reducing incidents of defects within a process. During the DMAIC process the FMEA can be employed to refine the focus of a six sigma project, rank contributing factors to root causes, and to identify corrective and preventive actions. The idea is to create a list of process steps and determine all potential failure modes associated with that step. These are then ranked in terms of Severity, Occurrence, and Detection which are multiplied to represent the Risk Priority Number (RPN). The resulting RPN is then used to prioritize efforts in regards to which problems to solve. The key to optimizing the use of any tool is to be aware its benefits and limitations. So here are a few in regards to FMEA:
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A lot of organizations will pride themselves on the interaction/communication level between management and staff. The prime example is management oversight of staff from the floor level where the work is being performed. However, the benefits of this activity are greatly dependent on how well the walk is defined. This is what separates the Gemba Walk from Management By Walking Around (MBWA). It may not seem necessary but effective walking requires training and practice.
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Everything that I have encountered about Lean Six Sigma is academic and theory based. What I find that is often missing are the small details that get into how to execute some of the tasks in a workplace setting. A big part of initiating and sustaining a Lean program is how information is visually presented to the group. Like any other form of media or corporate communication, this material needs to be engaging to your target audience and promote participation. Here are 7 tips for making a great visual presentation:
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Finding the true root cause is imperative to correctly identifying deficiencies and subsequently developing effective solutions. No matter the Root Cause Analysis technique employed while conducting Kaizen Events, there should always be a conscious effort to challenge the initial root cause hypothesis. What makes this task difficult is that often Project Leaders or Investigators are not Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Therefore, every great investigator should have some additional interrogation skills in their toolbox to help ensure that they cull the right information.
The key to finding true root cause is to realize that every testimonial implicates someone or something that has an owner. Therefore, sometimes SMEs may protect their own interest if the true root cause does not favor them or their process.
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