This document compares Black Belt and PMP® certifications. A Black Belt certification focuses more on process improvement projects within companies using the Six Sigma methodology. It requires company-provided training and completing projects with savings targets. A PMP® certification focuses more broadly on project management skills and is obtained individually through PMI by meeting experience requirements and passing an exam. While different, the certifications teach valuable and sometimes overlapping skills, and following practices like sponsorship, communication and collaboration can help PMP®s gain visibility like Black Belts within their organizations.

1. Black Belt vs. PMP®
Certification
Friend or Foe?

2. Tantalizing Tidbits
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What is Six Sigma and a Black Belt?
Why Certification?
How do the Certifications Compare?
So Why the Difference?
Best Practices can be Shared
Create Visible PMP® Certification Structure
Keep the PMP® in the Spotlight!

3. What is Six Sigma
& a Black Belt?
In 5 minutes or less…….
(Check out PMI’s other Six Sigma speakers)

4. What is a Six Sigma Black Belt
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What is Six Sigma?
 Methodology
that helps companies
reduce costs and accelerate growth
through discipline and long-term culture change
 Improves
business processes companywide, by
using tools to build process capability, by reducing
variation, and improving quality
 Focus
is on delighting the customer (voice of the
customer) & providing excellent service in all
business functions, not just manufacturing

5. Create visible certification structure
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Work is completed in a Project Team
 Led
by a company’s employee who is a
trained Six Sigma expert. These project
managers have titles related to their
level of Six Sigma training, such as
Black Belt or Green Belt.
 The
team is populated with members
who also have some basic Six Sigma
training, such as yellow or white belts.

6. What is a Six Sigma Black Belt
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Six Sigma projects have very specific charters, timelines,
and goals; and specifically target repeatable, established
processes.
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The DMAIC (pronounced duh-May-ick) methodology is
the cornerstone of Six Sigma, providing discipline and
structure to specific project teams.
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DMAIC stands for Define - Measure - Analyze Improve - Control, which represent the major phases
or gates of the project lifecycle.

7. How do the Lifecycles Work Together?
PMI’s 5 Process Groups
Standard project lifecycle
DMAIC
Six Sigma project lifecycle
Initiating
Define
(includes initial charter
creation by sponsor)
Planning
Monitoring
Measure
Analyze
Improve
Closing
Control
Realization
Executing

8. So Black Belts and
PMP® s aren’t so
different?
Are the certifications the
same?

9. Why Certification?
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Validation
Reputation
Credentials
Standards
Ethics
Best Practices
Legal Requirements
Filter
Career
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Recourse
Tangible
Confidence
Hype
Buzz
Compensation
Transference
Skills
Assurance
Risk Management!

10. So Why the Difference?
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The Power of the title “PMP®”
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Project Management Gurus - provide industry specialization
(construction, government, IT, etc.), structure, detail-orientation,
software solutions
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Create and populate PMOs and major initiatives - are thought of
as individuals, rather than part of a group infrastructure
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Business leaders may refer to them as
“Hidden Gems”, “Secret Weapons”,
and “Go-to People”

11. So Why the Difference?
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The Power of the title “Black Belt”
 Evokes
historical images of discipline, training,
excellence, ethics, standardization
 Currently
associated with overall performance and
leadership, not just project management.
Read: executive involvement and sponsorship
 Common
buzz in today’s Business vocabulary
Problem? Solution => “Get me a Black Belt!”
That’s Visibility!

12. How Do the Certifications Compare
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Black Belt Certification
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Companies determine criteria and
candidates
Complete 4-6 weeks training &
additional software training
Testing of course material
Approval by sponsor, mentor,
Master Black Belt, boss
Complete 2 projects with specified
$$$ savings
Coach Green Belts and team
members
Deliver training and
communication in business units
Most BBs have to work full-time in
position for 12-24 months
Average cost : $25,000 - $50,000
 Certification by BB’s employer
PMP® Certification
Individual determines desire to be a
PMP® candidate
Application to sit for certification
exam approved by PMI
Specified # of hours of previous
project management experience
Minimum # of prior PDUs and formal
education
Complete some method of
examination preparation
Pass PMP® certification exam
Sign Project Management Code of
Professional Conduct
Complete 60 PDUs in next 3 years to
maintain certification
Average cost : $1,500 - $3,000
Certification by PMI

13. So How Do PMP®s
Get Some of that
Visibility?
Borrow Best Practices!

14. Create visible certification structure
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Artificially create visible certification
structure
 Sponsorship
and Executive Involvement
 Safety & Savings in Big Numbers
 Timelines & Deliverables
 Communication Plan
 Celebrate Success
Run it like a Project!

15. Create visible certification structure
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Sponsorship and Executive Involvement
 WIFM
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– What’s in it for ME?
ROI and other financial metrics
Best practices & repeatable processes
Invite outside speakers
 Strive
for full company sponsorship
 Company investments in time, $$$ and
resources are measured and tracked (your
personal dedications is not!)

16. Create visible certification structure
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Safety & Savings in Big Numbers
 Broad
Based Participation
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Study Groups, Mentoring Resources, Accountability
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Collaborative execution creates enhanced results
 Sponsors
pressured to support
 Reduced costs
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Materials, Instructors, Meeting facilities, PMI membership

17. Create visible certification structure
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Timelines & Deliverables
 Shows
commitment and dedication
 Tangible plan for leaders to gauge and measure
 Easy to incorporate in divisional and individual
objectives and reviews
 Drives sense of urgency
 Represents future PMP®’s ability to contribute
value through project management skills

18. Create visible certification structure
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Communication Plan
 Be
your own PR whiz, because it is about buzz,
motivation, and excitement
 If they don’t know about, they can’t support you
 Stakeholder communication – a PMP® candidate’s
strongest (but most underutilized) asset
 Don’t forget about the WIFM

19. Create visible certification structure
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Celebrate Success
 Key
Milestones that are truly deserving
 Highlight benefits and value to organization
 Be generous in sharing acknowledgments
 Inclusive rather than exclusive
 Make sure to reach beyond the
“car-ride employees”: (sales,
decentralized locations, customers,
suppliers, overseas, etc.)

20. We’re Certified!
Now What?

21. Keep the PMP® in the Spotlight
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Highlight ongoing PMP® contributions
 Report
on Key Performance Indicators
 Foster On-going Certification Activities
 Research and Introduce Best Practices
 Focus on Internal Collaboration
 Expand on External Collaboration
Run it like a Program!

22. Keep the PMP® in the Spotlight
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Report on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
– formal or informal*
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$$ Savings
Revenue Increase
Customer satisfaction / loyalty
Risk Management Success
Project duration reduction
ROI
Break-Even Point
IRR
Resource Utilization Levels
Give your boss or sponsor something
good to talk about

23. Keep the PMP® in the Spotlight
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Foster On-going Certification Activities
 “The
More the Merrier” – help other colleagues
complete the certification steps
 Remind current PMP® s of PDU opportunities
 Create updates on bi-annual basis for senior
management with key internal and external statistics

24. Keep the PMP® in the Spotlight
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Research and Introduce Best Practices
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Keep up with industry news and research
 Utilize PMI’s resources fully
 Represent your company at events, summits, conferences
 Introduce new practices as appropriate through various
company communication channels

25. Keep the PMP® in the Spotlight
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External Collaboration
 Create
a “Pull environment” where customers,
suppliers, and vendors are requesting to work
with a PMP®
 Be active in professional associations
 Volunteer your skills in your community
 Participate on Company outreach teams
and boards

26. Keep the PMP® in the Spotlight
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Internal Collaboration
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Embrace and be knowledgeable about a variety
of methodologies
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Help stakeholders understand how various
project tools, reporting requirements, teams, and
methods can work together and enhance results
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Work with leaders to identify possible
discrepancies or redundancies and propose
solutions for bridging these differences

27. Thanks!
For more information contact:
Michelle Goodman
MGB Business Services, Inc.
www.MBGbusiness-services.com
651-224-0923
MichelleGoodman@MBGbusiness-services.com