Is there a difference between Lean Six Sigma projects and 'just projects'? Yes, actually many big advantages in favor of the Lean Six Sigma approach. Here I describe knowing by seeing, working on what matters and creating a sense of excitement for your teams. Second in a series of executive-level messages.

1. presents the
Executive Education Series
Why Lean Six Sigma is better than
‘just doing projects’
10/19/2013
152-4 Copyright fkiQualityLLC 2012
1

2. Lean Six Sigma makes
problem solving exciting
Written by
Francisco Pulgar-Vidal, fkiQuality
fpulgarvidal@fkiquality.com
10/19/2013
152-4 Copyright fkiQualityLLC 2012
2

3. Lean Six Sigma projects are
vastly different
from typical, everyday
projects,

4. and can be much more
exciting
to be a part of,
than most other things at work.

5. Here is why,

6. Lean Six Sigma projects
explore and discover
important work problems,

7. and then
make work better
for the long term.

8. See how next.

9. IDEA ONE:
To solve a problem,
explore the current
work situation.

10. Teams following the
Lean Six Sigma way
go to the place of
work,

11. …that is,
where problems happen,
to gain insights
into the work.

12. The place where work
is done
is known as ‘gemba.’
You may see ‘gemba’ written as

13. Going to the gemba
lets you see
what is the problem
in its context.

15. Observing makes you smarter
about the problem,
because you are
open
to what is happening.

16. But assuming
you already know
everything around you,
does not.

17. Is this vastly different from
before?
Yes, because you start
with observations,
not assumptions.

18. IDEA TWO:
Careful observation
leads teams to
identify the
real problem.

19. Do you remember the most
important instruction
before a test?
‘Read each question
carefully.’

20. In the same way,
before you start solving,
you must
formulate the
problem correctly.

21. Have you ever worked on
the wrong problem?
Who hasn’t?

22. For instance,
this happens when
a problem is
formulated as a
solution.

23. The following are
actual problem statements.
Can you see
anything wrong?

25. These are
solutions already!

26. Based on
assumptions like...

27. Assumption:
Train users and
they will follow
procedures.

28. Assumption:
People are always
ready to embrace
new rules.

29. Assumption:
To eliminate shipping
errors,
use a longer form.

30. Assumption:
More pressure
will make things
better.

31. We make these assumptions
all the time.
Are assumptions
always right?

32. When we
jump ahead
from assumption to solution,

33. we may face several
project setbacks.

34. Jumping to a solution
orients the team to deploy
only one thing,
which could be insufficient
or just wrong.

35. Jumping to a solution
stops the team’s
search to find
the true reason for
the problem.

36. Jumping to a solution
reduces your effort
to find
a real solution.

37. So, you could be working on
the wrong problem.

38. By not jumping ahead to a
solution,
Lean Six Sigma teams
work on the
right problems.

39. This is
vastly different
from everyday work.

40. IDEA THREE:
Going to the gemba and
working on the right things
sparks energy and
innovation.

41. In the gemba,
you learn
what is really
happening.

42. Nobody can tell you
how things are
because,
you have been there.

43. This is great
because you can avoid
false starts.

44. As an employee,
false starts make you feel
annoyed and
unproductive.

45. As a manager,
false starts make you
waste resources.

46. Over time,
the worst waste is
the loss of interest
and creativity
of the associates.

47. Can you afford this
loss?

48. On the contrary,
working to solve
things that matter,

49. make you feel that
your day-to-day
also matters.

50. This makes for teams
filled with
energy and
desire to innovate.

51. This is
much better than how
most teams feel
everyday.

52. In summary, Lean Six Sigma
projects focus on what matters
and bring back
discovery and
innovation
to the work.

53. Next presentations will discuss:
• What you should think about when thinking of lean and six sigma.
• How lean six sigma and project management go together.
• In which way lean six sigma projects go deeper than other efforts.
10/19/2013
152-4 Copyright fkiQualityLLC 2012
53