| Coaching and mentoring is a vital aspect of team | | | | fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish |
| leadership. So Lean Six Sigma training must create | | | | and you feed him for a lifetime.' |
| green belts and black belts capable of undertaking that | | | | #2 INTERRUPT LIMITING PATTERNS |
| role. | | | | The barriers and limitations to our true potential are the |
| The most common role of coach that we think about | | | | patterns of thinking and behaviour that we have |
| is that of a sporting coach. In fact the Australian | | | | conditioned over time. A successful coach is able to |
| Oxford Dictionary refers to coach in the context of | | | | recognise and interrupt these patterns consistently until |
| sport. The role of a sporting coach is to take the team | | | | they no longer exist. Pattern interruptions include the |
| or individual from where they are to their full potential. In | | | | use of: |
| other words closing the gap between an existing level | | | | =>> Humour; |
| of achievement and some desired level. | | | | =>> Physical shifts; and |
| The same applies to coaching in the context of Lean | | | | =>> Good questions. |
| Six Sigma project team leadership. The team leader, | | | | #3 TURN EVERY EXPERIENCE INTO A LEARNING |
| whether they are a green belt, black belt or master | | | | EXPERIENCE |
| black belt, can and should be a coach to the team. | | | | In the words of poet Archibald MacLeish: "There is |
| Why? Well the purpose of coaching is to help people | | | | only one thing more painful than learning from |
| improve their performance. As people around us | | | | experience, and that is not learning from experience." |
| increase their skill level, they perform better, and they | | | | High achievers know there is no such thing as failure, |
| are able to take on more and more responsibility. | | | | only results. Results are feedback from which we can |
| When you as a Lean Six Sigma project team leader | | | | learn, and successful coaches reinforce this principle |
| act as coach to the team, you will experience a | | | | through effectively questioning people. Questions such |
| number of benefits: | | | | as 'What did you learn from that', or 'What must you |
| (1) REDUCED WORKLOAD and supervision time, and | | | | do differently to make it work', or 'What can you use |
| more time to devote to project leadership and getting | | | | from that to make the next time better', all change the |
| results. | | | | way a person perceives a particular experience. |
| (2) INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY and follow through. | | | | #4 EMPOWER TEAM MEMBERS |
| When people own something, they are more likely to | | | | According to John Maxwell (1995), empowerment is |
| see it to its conclusion. | | | | fundamental to developing the people around you. One |
| (3) Greater recognition, RESPECT and loyalty from | | | | of the most effective ways to empower a team is to |
| those around you. | | | | teach them the skills of Six Sigma during project work. |
| (4) The ATTRACTION of others towards you. People | | | | Instead of facilitating everything yourself, try the |
| are drawn to quality leaders. | | | | strategy of teaching the process to the team using a |
| (5) The MULTIPLICATION of influence. By coaching | | | | simple content example, and then coaching them |
| others effectively, you are developing leaders. A | | | | through the process of facilitating the process using |
| leader who willingly develops other leaders, | | | | the project content. Empowerment occurs when you |
| experiences a multiplication of personal influence. | | | | provide people with three things: |
| (6) A greater sense of FULFILLMENT | | | | =>> Opportunity to do things they have never done |
| (7) ENCOURAGEMENT in return - encouragement in | | | | before; |
| the growth of others makes them want to encourage | | | | =>> Freedom to do it their own way; and |
| you in return. | | | | =>> Security in knowing that you will stand by them if |
| BEING A SUCCESSFUL COACH TO POTENTIAL | | | | the result is not as expected. |
| LEADERS | | | | #5 MODEL THE BEHAVIOUR YOU DESIRE |
| Coaching is a commitment to the growth and | | | | "Your actions speak so loudly that I cannot hear what |
| development of the people around you. A successful | | | | you are saying." The bottom line to leadership is this - |
| coach is one that supports individuals and team | | | | people will do as you do, they will model what they |
| members to grow in order that they achieve their true | | | | see modelled, thus congruence between what you |
| potential. To do that requires the coach to develop a | | | | say and do is of the utmost importance. Albert |
| broad range of knowledge and skill. To be a | | | | Schweitzer was absolutely correct when he said |
| successful coach, you must: | | | | "Example is not the main thing in influencing others..... it is |
| #1 MASTER THE ART OF QUESTIONING | | | | the only thing." |
| To get good answers, all you have to do is ask good | | | | #6 PARTICIPATE IN TWO WAY FEEDBACK |
| questions. By asking more questions than you give | | | | Tell people what they need to hear to take them to |
| answers, you promote an environment of thought, | | | | the next level. Encourage people to tell you what you |
| discussion and ultimately learning. Teaching people how | | | | need to hear in order for you to take yourself to the |
| to find answers, is much more valuable to them then | | | | next level. |
| giving them the answers all of the time. 'Give a man a | | | | |