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– Aparna Dev

Six sigma is not a mere methodology or a quality tool. It is a philosophy i.e a systematic way of thinking to solve quality problems. Sigma or standard deviation is a statistical measure of dispersion in data. It is a measure which uses the characteristics of past data to make judgements about how the process will perform in the future. Statistically, six sigma refers to a process in which the range between the mean of a process quality measurement and the nearest specification limit is atleast six times the standard deviation of the process. The statistical objectives of six sigma are to centre the process on the target and reduce process variation.

However, despite the immense popularity and the wide – spread adoption of six sigma, there is an increasing concern across industries regarding the failure of six sigma programs. One reason – many six sigma programs fail is because an implementation model detailing the sequence of six sigma elements/activities is not available. The existing literature identifies many elements of six sigma which does enhance our understanding of six sigma programs. However, the success of six sigma programs hinges on the sequence of many six sigma elements/activities or a model of implementation.

BENEFITS OF IMPLEMENTING SIX SIGMAS

Quality management has developed into a mature field with sound definitional and conceptual foundations but new quality management methods continue to grow. For example, six sigma which is organised and systematic method for strategic process improvement and new product and service development that relies on statistical method and scientific method to make dramatic reductions in customer defined defect rates, which generates intense interest in industries. Since it’s initiation at Motorola in the 1980s, many companies including Honeywell, Sony and Johnson controls adopted 6 sigmas and obtained substantial benefits. Moreover, six sigma integrates business level performance, process measures and project metrics into a systematic review process so that the managers can manage the organisation quantitatively and translate the business strategy into tactical tasks.

LIMITATIONS OF IMPLEMENTING SIX SIGMA

The main hurdles in successful implementation of six sigma are : 1. Organisations own management and employes 2. Active supplier participation and 3. Active customer participation. Six sigma is criticised as offering nothing new and simply repacking traditional quality management practices. It is argued that the large returns from six sigma at some companies were due to the initial quality level of these company being so low that anything would have drastically improved their quality. Although there have been numerous case studies, comprehensive discussions, books and website addressing six sigma very little scholarly research has been done on six sigma and quality management theory and application

The six sigma structured improvement is expected to support product/service design and process management. Both product/service design and process management practices involve using different managerial and technical tools and their effectiveness is dependent on how well teams actually use these tools. Also, from the entire study, we can easily conclude that : (¡) Quality information is positively related to supplier relationship. (¡¡) Quality information is positively related to products/service design (¡¡¡) Quality information is positively related to process management.

Conclusion

Academics need to better understand six sigma so that they do not overhype it or too quickly dismiss it as nothing new. The implementation of quality management in an organization requires two types of decisions – what to do and how to do it. Further research exploring how these six sigma practices are adopted in different organisational contexts is needed, since different organizations have different maturity levels of quality management implementation and the strengths and weakness of their existing Quality management systems vary.

Six sigma is an effective approach to a broad based quality control program. It is far more than the traditional approach, in which internal teams are created to reduce production defects, solve problems within one department and address problems in isolation. Six sigma is more than a quality control program with another name; it is a quality-based system for reorganizing the entire approach to work in every aspect : productivity, communication, involvement at every level and external service.

– Aparna Dev

A great leader posses a clear vision, is courageous, has integrity, honesty, humility and clear focus…Great leaders help people reach their goals are not afraid to hire people that might be better than them and take pride in the accomplishments of those they help along the way.

All business owners and executives have varying experiences and perspectives on the approach and qualities necessary for effective leadership. And not all situations require the same type of leadership style. Great leaders adapt to their surrounding environments and empower the team to succeed together. I believe that the best leaders are passionate about developing the emerging leaders around them, they constantly work to improve their emotional intelligence and know that a strong team culture is the foundation for accomplishing the mission. You can’t expect others to consider you a leader unless you have a solid faith in your ideas. And once it’s there, you built on it by being a good communicator, listening to others, setting examples and by putting your best foot forward and not giving up. Leadership is all about being passionate about what you do, and having confidence in yourself and your followers whom you have to motivate and inspire.

Great leaders make the hard choice and self sacrifice in order to enhance the lives of others around them. As a business owner, not only does your family rely on you – so too, do the families of those who work for you. Each employee has a family. Even if you are a small business owner with your employees, you are in essence potentially responsible for an additional ten or fifteen people. Likewise, having the ability to show respect, empathy and care to those that follow you are all attributed to being a great leader. Earning respect is crucial to a successful relationship with someone, while also showing that you care about their work or ideas. Being empathetic allows a leader to top into the emotions of that individual in order to connect in a way that individual in order to connect in a way that lets that person know you understand what it means to be in their situation.

Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of every individual to effectively manage the outcome of a team is imperative for success. Leaders have a great vision and use the resources at hand to solve problems. They take risks and make hard decisions, knowing they could sometimes be wrong. Those are the most important qualities of a real leader that work similarly in our professional and personal lives. They surround themselves with great people that they can cultivate into a team of competent, confident individuals who can work well as a team. They can have the ability to guide this team towards a well defined vision by clearly communicating short and long term goals, inspiring confidence and trust among colleagues and influencing common efforts through character rather than by a position of authority, ultimately, a great leader creates and nurtures other leaders.

Great leadership is determined by one’s periodical blend of personal humility and unparalleled will to lead others in service of a cause bigger than themselves. Great leaders are incredibly ambitious, but never for themselves. Rather, they are ambitious for the company and posses the will do whatever is necessary in service of this greater cause. Even in the worst situations, such as experiencing low term morale on team members having made a big mistake at work, a great leader stays positive and figures out ways to keep the team motivated to solve the problems.

In conclusion, good leaders are made not born. The word “leader” makes you think of people in charge, high ranking people : your boss, politicians, CEO’s…But leadership isn’t really about a particular position or a person’s seniority. Just because someone has worked for many years doesn’t mean he/she has gained the qualities and skills to lead a team. Good leadership is about acquiring and having specific skills. Leadership skills enable you to be a role model for a team in any environment. With great leadership qualities, successful leaders come in all shapes and sizes : in the home, at school or in the workplace.

Understanding the benefits & limitations of six sigma methodology

What makes a good leader