Lean Six Sigma uses an organisation’s own people to deliver business improvement and there are several distinct roles which need to be fulfilled if projects are to be delivered successfully.
Many people have heard of the term Black Belt but not everyone realises that other roles exist within Lean Six Sigma and that each has its part to play in a sustainable improvement programme. These roles are summarised below:
Executives
Executive level understanding and support is crucial to the success of Lean Six Sigma. Senior executives are expected to develop and communicate the Lean Six Sigma strategy, provide competent leadership and resource and demonstrate commitment to excellence. Many organisations set up an executive steering group to prioritise, launch and review projects.
Champions
Champions can work at executive or senior manager level, and this role is usually carried out as part of an in existing leadership function. The Champion is responsible for the active promotion of Lean Six Sigma within the organisation. He/she is also responsible for ensuring that competent Black Belts are recruited, trained and managed, the right kind of projects are selected, and the results of Lean Six Sigma are effectively tracked and communicated within the organisation. It is crucial that Champions take an active role in project reviews and proactively promote swift project completion by removing roadblocks to success.
Black Belts
Black Belts are the main executors in a Lean Six Sigma programme as they undertake large strategic projects. Organisations should pick their best people to become Lean Six Sigma Black Belts as this role is typically full time and will lead to promotion within the organisation after a 2‐3 year period of successful project delivery. Black Belts should be recruited from Technical or Management grades and becoming a Black Belt should be considered to be a career progression for those selected.
The roles and responsibilities of a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt include leading the most important improvement projects within an organisation as well as teaching and mentoring others in Lean Six Sigma methods and tools. A good Black Belt will be a good communicator and have the ability to lead and inspire others. The most successful Black Belts may proceed to become Master Black Belts. A rule of thumb is that about 1% of the organisation should be practicing Black Belts.
Green Belts
Green Belts work part time on improvement projects as part of their existing role. They may support Black Belts on large strategic projects or more commonly undertake more tactical projects within their own departments. Green Belts typically work within Technical or Managerial grades and should see this role as part of their progression within an organisation and utilise their projects to deliver their personal and departmental objectives. The most successful Green Belts may proceed to become Black Belts. Typically, between 3% and 5% of the organisation should be practicing Green Belts.
Yellow Belts
The role of the Yellow Belt (or Foundation Green Belt as it is sometimes called) is to undertake foundation projects within the Lean Six Sigma community. Yellow Belts are typically recruited from operational grades and their projects do not require the use of statistical techniques. Some organisations have recognised the need to train a larger number of people in the basics of improvement without going into the more complex tools and Yellow Belt training can fulfil this need. Yellow Belts make great team members for more complex Green or Black Belt projects. The most successful Yellow Belts may proceed to become Green or Black Belts.
Master Black Belts
Lean Six Sigma is a developmental programme for both the organisation and the individual and it is crucial that proper coaching and mentoring is in place if individuals are to grow and thrive within their designated role. The Master Black Belt fulfils this function and he/she is responsible for training, coaching and mentoring Belts and Champions within the organisation. The Master Black Belt provides technical guidance on the selection, use and development of Lean Six Sigma tools and methodologies and must be an expert in Lean Six Sigma strategy and tools, and have effective project and man management skills. Larger organisations with many Black Belts may find it cost effective to employ their own Master Black Belts whereas smaller organisations may choose to purchase MBB time from consultancies such as SigmaPro.
Lean Six Sigma Training
Each Lean Six Sigma role has defined responsibilities, competences and (therefore) training needs. Black Belts receive 17 days' training with SigmaPro, delivered in blocks aligned with project delivery over a four month period. Training is delivered in parallel with the first project to enable easier learning and an immediate return on investment for the organisation concerned.
Green Belts are trained concurrently with Black Belts with SigmaPro and receive the first 12 days of the Black Belt curriculum; with Black Belts receiving the more advanced tools during their last week of training. This enables existing Green Belts to upgrade to Black Belt very easily. SigmaPro also offer a five day training module for Yellow (or Foundation Green) Belts delivered in a single week, a single day Lean Six Sigma awareness programme, and a two day Champion Training course for those undertaking this role within an organisation.
SigmaPro also run a highly acclaimed Master Black Belt course for those aspiring to this role. It lasts for 10 days and is run over two complete weeks. All Belts receive the training necessary to undertake both transactional and industrial projects and in-house programmes can be tweaked to fulfil individual organisational needs.
Lean Six Sigma Certification
Becoming a certified Belt is often a goal of both the organisation and the people undergoing training because it demonstrates the successful combination of training and application. Certification requires the completion of a recognised training course, an exam and the completion of one (for Green Belts) or two (for Black Belts) successful projects to demonstrate application of what has been learned. You only have to take a look at the careers and salaries on offer on job search web sites to realise how highly certified belts are valued.
It is the combination of the all the elements of Lean Six Sigma that make it so successful, but it is the development and involvement of people at all levels in the organisation which makes it unique as an improvement methodology.