The biggest challenge in deploying Six Sigma is getting people to believe in it and support it. Some of the reasons cited as barriers are:
I remember during the Six Sigma Best Practices and Benchmarking Forum, one of the speakers said that if you had to hold meetings outside office hours or at lunch break, then it’s a sign that management is not supportive of the initiative.
True! Management must treat Six Sigma activities as part of the order of things in the company.
Peter Peterka, writing for Voters Unite, has a good discussion going on how company politics can hinder Six Sigma deloyments. He cited the common barriers and how these can be resolved.
Not surprisingly, all of the factors mentioned above also affect business processes of any kind. They are not unique to Six Sigma. This is one of Six Sigma’s strengths: realistically acknowledging the way politics work in an organization. Six Sigma is not just number crunching. It understands the importance of and encourages the involvement of people throughout and at all levels of the organization working together toward a common goal. Six Sigma encourages planning, communication, and openness about processes, procedures, and information.
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