A guide to Lean Sixma Management Skills

A Guide to

Lean Six Sigma

Management Skills

A Guide to

Lean Six Sigma

Management Skills

Howard S. Gitlow

Auerbach Publications

Taylor & Francis Group

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Library of Congress Cataloging‑in‑Publication Data

Gitlow, Howard S.

A guide to lean six sigma management skills / Howard S. Gitlow.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978‑1‑4200‑8416‑0 (alk. paper)

1. Six sigma (Quality control standard) 2. Total quality management. 3.

Organizational effectiveness. 4. Job satisfaction. I. Title.

HD62.15.G536 2008

658.4’013‑‑dc22 2008046614

Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at

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Dedication

This book is dedicated to all the worker bees who want to enjoy

their work and cut their uncompensated overtime, but have no idea

of how to go about it. I hope they find out how in this book.

vii

Contents

Preface............................................................................................................xi

Acknowledgments....................................................................................... xiii

About the Author ..........................................................................................xv

1 The Meaning and Purpose of Work........................................................1

1.1 Traditional View of Work..................................................................1

1.1.1 Doing Your Job ....................................................................1

1.1.2 Reacting to Daily Crisis........................................................2

1.2 Lean Six Sigma View of Work ...........................................................2

1.2.1 A New Perspective on Life and Work ...................................3

1.2.1.1 Principle 1: Life and Business Are Processes .........3

1.2.1.2 Principle 2: All Processes Exhibit Variation ..........4

1.2.1.3 Principle 3: Two Causes of Variation Exist

in Many Processes ................................................5

1.2.1.4 Principle 4: Life and Business in Stable and

Unstable Processes Are Different ..........................9

1.2.1.5 Principle 5: Continuous Improvement Is

Economical, Absent Capital Investment.............11

1.2.1.6 Principle 6: Many Processes Exhibit Waste.........12

1.2.1.7 Principle 7: Effective Communication

Requires Operational Definitions.......................13

1.2.1.8 Principle 8: Expansion of Knowledge

Requires Theory..................................................14

1.2.1.9 Principle 9: Planning Requires Stability..............15

1.2.1.10 Conclusion .........................................................16

1.2.2 Doing Your Job and Improving Your Job............................16

1.2.2.1 Principle 1 ..........................................................16

1.2.2.2 Principle 2 ..........................................................20

1.2.2.3 Principle 3 ..........................................................20

1.2.2.4 Principle 4 ..........................................................25

1.2.2.5 Principle 5 ..........................................................26

1.2.2.6 Principle 6 ..........................................................27

viii ◾ Contents

1.2.2.7 Principle 7 ..........................................................53

1.2.2.8 Principle 8 ..........................................................54

1.2.2.9 Principle 9 ..........................................................70

1.2.3 More on Common and Special Causes

(Improve the Process to Eliminate Daily Crises).................70

1.2.3.1 The Funnel Experiment......................................72

1.2.3.2 The Red Bead Experiment..................................82

1.2.3.3 Feedback Loops..................................................85

1.2.4 Four Questions You May Ask about Lean Six Sigma

Management.......................................................................86

2 Motivation and Compensation.............................................................89

2.1 Traditional View: Extrinsic Motivators............................................89

2.2 Lean Six Sigma View: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivators................91

2.2.1 Background ........................................................................91

2.2.2 Lean Six Sigma and Performance Appraisal........................91

2.2.3 The Revised Performance Appraisal System........................99

2.2.4 Conclusion .......................................................................101

3 Working Conditions...........................................................................103

3.1 Introduction ..................................................................................103

3.2 Poor Training ................................................................................104

3.3 Slogans, Exhortations, and Targets That Demand Higher

Levels of Productivity ....................................................................106

3.4 Work Standards (Quotas and Piecework) on the Factory Floor .....107

3.5 Fear ...............................................................................................108

3.6 Barriers That Rob the Hourly Worker of His Right to Pride

of Workmanship............................................................................109

3.7 Lack of Education and Self-Improvement Efforts..........................110

4 Behavior and Relationships................................................................113

4.1 Types of Individual Behavior.........................................................113

4.1.1 Purpose of Assertive Behavior........................................... 114

4.1.2 Steps toward Assertive Behavior........................................ 114

4.1.2.1 Step 1 ............................................................... 114

4.1.2.2 Step 2 ............................................................... 119

4.1.2.3 Step 3 ...............................................................120

4.1.2.4 Step 4 ...............................................................123

4.1.3 Personal Discipline...........................................................123

4.1.3.1 Debunking Myth 1 ..........................................124

4.1.3.2 Debunking Myth 2 ..........................................124

4.1.3.3 Debunking Myth 3 ..........................................124

4.1.3.4 Debunking Myth 4 ..........................................125

4.1.3.5 Debunking Myth 5 ..........................................125

Contents ◾ ix

4.2 Selected Types of Relationships .....................................................126

4.2.1 Boss–Subordinate Relationships.......................................126

4.2.2 Co-Worker Relationships..................................................129

4.3 Selected Techniques for Improving Relationships..........................130

4.3.1 Other People’s Views (OPV).............................................130

4.3.2 Consequences & Sequel (C&S). .......................................131

4.3.3 Alternatives, Possibilities, and Choices (APC) ..................131

4.4 Improving Team Behavior.............................................................133

4.4.1 Stages of Team Behavior...................................................133

4.4.2 Escalating “I” Messages for Improving Team Behavior.....134

4.4.3 Conflict Resolution Skills for Improving Team

Behavior ...........................................................................135

4.4.3.1 Step 1: View the Participants in the Conflict

as Equals Trying to Solve a Problem to Their

Mutual Advantage............................................136

4.4.3.2 Step 2: Identify the Viewpoints of All

Participants of the Conflict...............................136

4.4.3.3 Step 3: Develop Alternative Solutions for

the Conflict That Result in “Win–Win”

Situations, or at Least “No Lose” Situations .....137

4.4.3.4 Step 4: All Participants in the Conflict

Review the “Win–Win” Solutions or

Negotiate the Differences in Their Solutions

to Create “No Lose” Solutions to the Conflict..139

4.4.3.5 Step 5: Avoid the Common Pitfalls of “No

Lose” Solutions.................................................139

4.4.3.6 Step 6: Try Out the “Win–Win” Solution or

the Best “No Lose” Solution for a Limited

Time Period......................................................140

5 Conclusion..........................................................................................141

Bibliography................................................................................................143

Index ...........................................................................................................145

xi

Preface

Many worker bees are highly respected and well paid, and you may believe that

they are happy with their jobs. Do not be fooled by their smiles. Many of them

dislike their jobs and are “burned out” at work. So, if you are a worker bee just

trying to do your job, it is possible that you think your job is boring, draining, and

depressing. And you have to do it for the rest of your work life!

Is there hope? Well, to answer that question, you need to answer two more ques￾tions. First, do you think your boss can help you get out of your negative work

experience? Second, can you do anything to rise above your negative work

experience?

Question 1: Can Your Boss Help You Get Out

of Your Negative Work Experience?

The answer to the first question is a definite YES. Only your boss can change the

structure of the system in which you work (your job). Most employees are power￾less to modify policies and procedures, methods, rules, and schedules that create a

negative work experience. So, what can bring about positive change in your work

experience? One answer is that the top management of your company makes an

executive decision to become a Lean Six Sigma organization. Are you scratching

your head and wondering what a Lean Six Sigma organization is? And what does

this mean to me? Well, becoming a Lean Six Sigma organization could be a life￾altering event for you and your company. You will learn more about why this is the

case as you read this book.

Question 2: Can You Do Anything to Rise

Above Your Negative Work Experience?

Because you cannot change your work conditions, is there anything you can do to

improve your work experience? The answer is YES because when executives start

talking about Lean Six Sigma management (and they probably will), you can be

very supportive to the idea. Now, executives, managers, and workers have a vehicle

xii ◾ Preface

(Lean Six Sigma management) through which they can work as partners toward a

common goal. The goal is to create an exciting and energizing workplace to pursue

the organization’s mission statement. The first major objective of this book will be

to answer Question 2.

The second major objective of this book is to present Lean Six Sigma manage￾ment theories, tools, and methods from the worker bee’s point of view. Addressing

the second objective will largely resolve the first objective. Worker bees (employees)

have as much desire (intrinsic motivation) to learn Lean Six Sigma as executives.

Executives want to learn Lean Six Sigma to improve the bottom line of their organi￾zation, as well as to improve their professional skill set and effectiveness on the job.

Worker bees want to learn Lean Six Sigma to be able to increase enjoyment in their

work, to better understand the system in which they work, and finally, to reduce

uncompensated overtime. The third major objective of this book is to explain how

you can prevent daily crises from messing you up at work. This book aims to assist

worker bees, and any executive who wants to know, in how to enjoy work.

xiii

Acknowledgments

I would like to acknowledge Stephen Alpert for his creative input for this book, and

Shelly Gitlow for being my guiding light.