This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Six Sigma—The Initiative
Even with the success of the Six Sigma launch, the CEO, Larry Bossidy, kept the pressure on AlliedSignal to change by launching a technology initiative (Technology Excellence), an initiative to connect to our customers (Customer Excellence), and an initiative to reduce paperwork, a Digitation initiative. So, playing on the success of previous initiatives, AlliedSignal developed a core competency to drive change. This book uses that learning cycle as the foundation of the launch methodology.
Because Six Sigma has been so successful in accelerating the performance of so many companies, this book focuses on the process of launching the Six Sigma initiative within a very fast 90 days. The evidence clearly shows that many senior leaders who departed Six Sigma companies and who have moved to other companies have introduced Six Sigma as one of their first change initiatives. Fred Poses (American Standard), Jim McNerney (3M), David Weidman (Celanese), Jim Sierk (Iomega), Paul Norris (WR Grace), Bob Nordelli (Home Depot), Wes Lucas (Sun Chemical), Dan Burhnam (Raytheon), and Ed Breen (Tyco) all left the Six Sigma companies AlliedSignal, GE, and Motorola to drive Six Sigma early in their new assignments—and successfully, I might add.
By learning how to launch the Six Sigma initiative, you will also learn how to launch any initiative quickly and efficiently. You will launch Six Sigma using the same milestones required to launch any initiative. In fact, our launch methodology follows John Kotter’s of Harvard University change model, as described in his fine book, Leading Change. This model will be explained in further detail in a later chapter.
Therefore, you will have a well-documented theoretical framework within which to launch follow-on initiatives. You will successfully launch Six Sigma, and you will gain fuel-injected performance as a result. As a result, you will achieve the twofold benefit of earning the impressive results of Six Sigma and completing a learning cycle in launching successful initiatives. Success in your Six Sigma launch will ensure that your organization will have the core competency to embark upon future change initiatives with confidence and speed.