| The short answer is, "Yes!" | | | | requirement for quality. The organization's leaders set |
| The longer answer is, "Yes, and here's why." | | | | the agenda, make the rules, and authorize the |
| Have you ever had the unfortunate experience of | | | | resources. Without management's genuine |
| working where management does not fully realize or | | | | commitment, your company's Six Sigma effort will find |
| understand the value of investing the extra time and | | | | it difficult, if not impossible, to achieve lasting |
| effort required for quality improvement? Such an | | | | improvement. Management buy-in is necessary but not |
| experience is certainly not uncommon. You really know | | | | sufficient. Leaders must literally lead the way and |
| the value of upper management support if you are in a | | | | inspire people to engage and play their role. |
| corporate climate that doesn't support process | | | | When your senior management leaders are onboard, |
| improvement from the top on down. | | | | they can oversee the implementation of the Six Sigma |
| Upper management support for Six Sigma is critical in | | | | effort. They can respond appropriately both to |
| two areas. First, the power and scope of Six Sigma | | | | successes and to roadblocks. Six Sigma cannot be |
| demands a significant commitment from the | | | | the silver bullet alone; it has to have complete support |
| organization. This requires support from management | | | | and commitment from all levels of the organization. |
| to transcend departmental barriers. Second, any type | | | | There are many other quality improvement |
| of change in an organization will meet some | | | | methodologies that have the capability to help |
| resistance, either intentional or just by virtue of inertia. | | | | organizations. One of the crucial differences between |
| When upper management is behind that change, | | | | them and Six Sigma is that Six Sigma recognizes the |
| resistance can be countered and overcome. | | | | requirement for complete organizational support and |
| You can't take on Six Sigma with a lackadaisical | | | | dedication. |
| attitude. You can't implement it piecemeal. Six Sigma is | | | | Thus, Six Sigma is ideal for projects that require |
| not for dilettantes. If you're in, you're in deep, and you're | | | | cross-functional groups, and the solution is not |
| in for the long haul. Of course, for real and lasting | | | | apparent up front. Upper management needs to |
| process improvement, that is how it should be. Without | | | | understand that implementation of Six Sigma needs to |
| a 100% management commitment to the Six Sigma | | | | be more widespread in an organization than isolated |
| program, Six Sigma turns into just another | | | | projects. Management also plays a crucial role in |
| "management program." | | | | focusing Six Sigma toward broad application. |
| There will always be resistance to changes brought | | | | Management trained in the essentials of the Six Sigma |
| into an organization, and change requires continuous | | | | methodology select the projects that are aligned with |
| support, encouragement, and monitoring from top | | | | business goals. Then, these managers must select and |
| management to overcome that resistance. There are | | | | mentor Six Sigma project leaders called "Belts." Belts in |
| plenty of ways for projects to fail, and it is always | | | | turn are mentors to others who share their skills and |
| convenient to blame the new tool. If you look hard | | | | seek to continually improve themselves, those around |
| enough though, if Six Sigma fails, the failure is clearly | | | | them, and the organization as a whole. The Six Sigma |
| the fault of management. If management truly has their | | | | mentoring concept and the insistence on senior |
| eye on the customer and is intent on providing quality | | | | management buy-in are excellent ways of focusing |
| products and services, then Six Sigma has a good | | | | issues related to the implementation of Six Sigma |
| choice for keeping everyone focused. | | | | throughout the organization. When upper management |
| Everyone can agree that continuous process | | | | holds up Six Sigma as the method by which an |
| improvement is worthwhile, but obtaining the dedication | | | | organization defines and implements change |
| of time and money to do it is often difficult. The | | | | throughout its structure, significant and lasting change |
| support of upper management is an absolute | | | | ensues. |