Isn Six Sigma just another “program du jour”?
That is entirely up to you. Past initiatives contained much that was useful, but they usually failed for specific reasons. Lack of executive leadership. Management fails to demonstrate its commitment through deeds. Successes are won by innovative mid-level managers, but without active leadership from the top, matters soon grind to a halt. Failure to deploy. Good results are obtained initially through “launch enthusiasm” and mentored training; but no process is embedded to keep the efforts going or expand them into other departments. Seeking shortcuts. Successful pioneer companies develop programs over the long-term that incorporate many interlocking elements. Success inspires imitation, but the next generation of companies often tries to emulate the success without the hard work. They may adopt only some elements of the successful pioneer program (or even only the name) hoping for instant success. Inadequate measurement. In some initiatives, there was no way to measure status or progre
