All entries for Wednesday 28 November 2012
November 28, 2012
Six Sigma Change Management
We live in a society where change is the only thing that remains unchanged; it is inevitable and inherent in the dynamic and evolving organizational processes. Six Sigma change management is a structured approach which focuses on transiting employees and organizations from their present state to a state which aligns with their aims and objectives for the future. In many organizations, change is often resisted due to a variety of different factors. It can be an organization’s most difficult to control asset, but it can also work as the central tool resulting in sustained competitive advantage for the organization. Whilst doing the presentations on Six Sigma, we learnt the two types of changes in firms: planned and reactive. Essentially, planned changes are regarded as the more superior form of change as they are instigated when managers decide to make extensive changes, whilst reactive changes occur as a result of the sudden response to making adjustments. At the heart of Six Sigma is Statistical Process Control, which is primarily a way of accumulating knowledge and experience in a coherent manner. Today’s session with Jan Gillet emphasised the key point about change, which is observable in more or less everything in our everyday life. Jan stressed the point that a state of statistical control is not a natural state, and the understanding behind this is that controlling something means we are intervening with the natural process of things. Continual process improvement makes attentive use of process control charts, which were demonstrated in the video Jan played in the first half of the session.
Session with Jan Gillet
The presentation we did a couple of weeks back on Six Sigma and Success Factors helped me to grasp some basic knowledge and understanding of the topic, but the morning session with Jan Gillet today was very helpful in strengthening that learning. The reference to Jack Welch was very insightful, as it reinforced what I had learnt reading the book ‘What I’ve Learned Leading A Great company and Great People’ by Jack Welch four years ago, in which he emphasises the importance of achieving a renewed balance at work in the midst of constant pressures and crisis. The session also reminded me of some of the key things that I had studied over the years, such as The Hawthorne Effect. In reference to processes involving Six Sigma for improvement and excellence, especially in production, I was sceptical about the impact/the extent of impact of The Hawthorne Effect in a controlled environment in the context of overt observation, which Jan addressed really well. Jan's approach to teaching was very interactive, logical and engrossing, and I am looking forward to reading his book, 'Working with the Grain', to gain an in depth and broad understanding of the subject.