Organizational Roadblocks to Lean Six Sigma – How to deal with them?

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Organizational roadblocks are biggest challenges that one needs to face while working in a project. These are issues that they need to

overcome in order to complete a project effectively. Lean Six Sigma is one of the most popular approaches to quality management in today’s

world. However, there are many organizational roadblocks to Lean Six Sigma that prevent organizations from adopting it. Let’s have a look at

the same in this post. Before understanding the types of organizational roadblocks to Lean Six Sigma, let’s understand the types of

organizations where roadblocks can arise. There are two types of organizations – Traditional Organization and Customer Driven

Organization. The differences between traditional organization and customer driven organization are as following.

Traditional organization has short-term focus and follows reactionary management while customer driven organization has long-term focus

and follows preventive management

Traditional organization aims at quick ROI while customer driven organization measures performance based on CSAT

Traditional organization considers customers as hostile while customer driven organization considers customers as king

Traditional organization adopts error and defect reduction while customer driven organization adopts error and defect prevention

After realizing the two different types of organizations let’s have a look at the various types of organizational roadblocks to lean six sigma that

organizations witness.

1.      Lean Six Sigma is a Fad

This view point is generally expressed by the top leaders in an organization or project. This roadblock arises at the very beginning of the

project when preliminary things about lean and Six Sigma is adopted. In such situations, it is the project leader’s responsibility to showcase

the benefits of lean Six Sigma and its effective role towards quality management and convince them to implement lean Six Sigma.

2.       Lean Six Sigma is too statistical

This view point is expressed by both leaders and employees. After learning basics on Six Sigma approach, it comes out as a statistical

approach that seems difficult for few in the organization to understand and implement. In such situation, the Six Sigma Black Belt certified

needs to overcome the resistance topic by explaining one or two statistical tools to the top leaders as well as the employees.

3.      Why should I change?

This is one of the most challenging roadblocks that one might face while implementing Six Sigma in organizations. Six Sigma brings various

changes in the work culture and people working within a particular work culture hesitate to adopt that change. The Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

certified professional needs to explain the changes that the business has witnessed over the years and cite examples of some successful

changes. One needs to convince the leaders and employers that the change would enhance the competitiveness of the organization and is

financially rewarded.

4.      Non-cooperation from employees

In order to overcome this organizational roadblock, one can adopt various strategies such as building trust in employees and assuring them

that they would not be penalized for past mistakes, encouraging the Move Ahead philosophy and ensuring employees that they are involved

in designing and setting up the new processes. The Lean Six Sigma   Black Belt certified needs to communicate and convince employees not

to resist change. It is important to take them along in the process rather than forcing them into it.

5.      Wrong Team Members

Selection of team members needs great observation and understanding. One can form a capable and effective team by choosing the

members based on four essential factors – Capability, Creativity, Willingness and Ability.

How to deal with Organizational Roadblocks?

A Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certified needs to adopt and ensure certain facts in order to deal with organizational roadblocks; few of these

are suggested as below.

Help communicate the change efforts from the top management to all employees

Incentive and reward schemes for projects to be identified, communicated to top management, followed up with top management and

communicated to the employees

Communicate effectively and ensure transparency amongst team members

Play an important and neutral role in selecting Six Sigma team