Six Sigma Reading Recommendations?

[NWFlyer 2]

In the interest of actually using my "time off" wisely, I'm hoping to learn a bit about Six Sigma. I have done a lot of process improvement work, but don't have any formal training. I am not sure I'm ready to bite the bullet and pay for a full Six Sigma training course myself (at those prices, it seems like something you make your employer pay for, right?), but I thought it would make sense to at least get a few books and learn as much as I can about the concepts so I can demonstrate a working knowledge of the fundamentals and an interest in further education since so many of the job listings I'm seeing are looking for certification (or at least familiarity) with these methodologies.

Can any of you black belts/green belts recommend any particularly good book choices? My local library has this one, and it sounded good. Any others I should keep an eye out for at the library or used bookstores?

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[happythoughts 0]

This year, I am pursuing the Project Management Professional (I know... PMP) certification.

It is offered through PMI.org and the recruiters recognize it as having a value on your resume.

At some of my more recent contracts, the companies are requiring that their management gets it.

PMI

Something to consider.

[riddler 0]

Studies that indicate negative effects caused by Six Sigma. Hopefully, that process beast is on it's way out - I've been through ISO-9001, CMM level 4, XP. Most are a waste of time - the Process Du Jour.

I recommend learning about Agile methodology instead. If you can swing it, PMI is a good bet, but it takes quite a bit of continuing education and/or experience to even qualify to take the test.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[wmw999 2,136]

Instead of an all-encompassing whole, think of it as one set of tools and thought processes that can be used in improvement (and, yes, development) projects. It will not make your creative people more creative. But if you're all over the place in your creative process, it might help to decide which direction to focus them in.

To use it as a one-size-fits-all project management or process improvement methodology is stupid.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[BIGUN 1,065]

Bleh.. Six Sigma is Total Quality Management (TQM) with a new coat of paint and a different salesman. SS was "coined" by Motorola, but it's foundation lies in the root principles of TQM... Start with the basics which you can get from your local library...

In Order:
Walter A. Shewhart
W. Edwards Deming (Out of the Crisis)
Joseph M. Juran (Juran on Leadership for Quality)
Philip B. Crosby
Kauru Ishikawa
Genichi Taguchi


Deming and Juran are considered the "fathers" of TQM - Deming, a more quantitative approach; Juran using most of the same principles, but has a qualitative factor.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[riddler 0]

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Instead of an all-encompassing whole, think of it as one set of tools and thought processes that can be used in improvement (and, yes, development) projects.

Try to convince your typical Dilbert Pointy-Haired Boss of that. They usually buy into it for six months, get everyone to switch effort in order to focus on changing the process, then when all productivity dies, let the process slip away quietly unto the night, while continuing to taut the process to the BOD until next year, when a new process comes along.

Or maybe you are the Pointy-Haired Boss

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[BIGUN 1,065]

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To use it as a one-size-fits-all project management or process improvement methodology is stupid.

YAY, Wendy! Deming was horrendously opposed to "off-the-shelf" project/process/quality improvement programs. Each organization MUST develop their own program. It must have commitment from the bottom-up and not be _perceived_ as a top-down management directive. Ten points.

Edit: spelling oops

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[wmw999 2,136]

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Or maybe you are the Pointy-Haired Boss

Naw, I left management to go into L6S

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[happythoughts 0]

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Try to convince your typical Dilbert Pointy-Haired Boss of that.

I've worked with more than a few.

One of the interesting parts of monopoly organizations is that they try to justify additional costs as "value added" and explain how they will reduce costs.

The first thing to understand is that they probably aren't really trying to reduce costs. They are trying to have redundancy built into the testing structure to cover their butts.

The management generally doesn't understand the technical side of the business, but has the job of implementing it correctly. If it goes wrong, it is their job.

When industries were de-regulated, they dumped these programs the next day, and quality didn't suffer at all.

I get paid by the hour. Paperwork pays the same as actual work.

[rehmwa 2]

It's just a methodology for process assessment and improvement.

Think of it as a bag of useful tools that you can use at work. It's not the end all. But you need people to buy into the culture and the resistance to that kind of thing is difficult. But you can use the statistical rigor and be a lot more effective. Things like organized DoEs, sample size analysis, confidence assessments are very powerful. I know very few professionals that understand how to truly conduct a good experiment that will return meaningful results. But no one wants meaningful results, they want their pet theories confirmed even if wrong.

Usually, an initiative to cut in that culture results in the same things happening as always, but with pretty presentation of the results. People will rationalize ANYTHING to not change. This is a waste of time.

But it's pretty powerful when applied correctly and for the right reasons. I'd suggest you either forget it and just learn to apply good statistical rigor to your efforts. OR, go in whole hog and be a true advocate. But dabbling in it is a waste of time.

Also, an understanding of the CORRECT application of statistics and statistical tools is very powerful. Most people have no clue. You don't need a program to understand that.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[nerdgirl 0]

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Start with the basics which you can get from your local library...

In Order:
Walter A. Shewhart
W. Edwards Deming (Out of the Crisis)
Joseph M. Juran (Juran on Leadership for Quality)
Philip B. Crosby
Kauru Ishikawa
Genichi Taguchi

Thanks for the reading list.
Who's recommended w/r/t R&D and fostering innovation?

What method(s) does Google use?

Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[ryoder 1,393]

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They usually buy into it for six months, get everyone to switch effort in order to focus on changing the process, then when all productivity dies, let the process slip away quietly unto the night, while continuing to taut the process to the BOD until next year, when a new process comes along.

My first experience with the "Six Sigma" BULLSHIT was at Motorola. Just one of the laundry list of reasons I got the hell out of there. Motorola mgmt adopted a new religion every few months, but what made it so much worse was that they always kept all the old religions while adding to the list; SIx Sigma, "10x Cycle Time Improvement", Software Engineering Institute, etc.

My second experience was different company, in which what happened was exactly what you described above.

Six Sigma is to productivity, what masturbation is to sex.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[marcandalysse 0]

I have a yellow belt. To progress to Green you must work on a six sigma project. Black Belt must be full time Six Sigma.
There are definitely some good tools, some seem obvious once you read about them.

I am reading up on CoBIT myself....

If I can find some of my classes, I will zip them up and send to ya.

marc

"The reason angels can fly is that they take themselves so lightly." --GK Chesterton

[Jumpsat14k 0]

Six Sigma sux, it seems to have been developed by someone who lives in a bubble, or a cave with no real experience at the bottom of the heap. The concepts are well intentioned, but like everything else, the bottom line should be cost savings and safety improvements from bottom to top and top to bottom. That NEVER happened at Raytheon wher I worked for 7 years. I was six sigma certified. Endless meetings, go nowhere projects. You can even become a Six Sigma "black belt" a so called expert. That's the title of an old girlfriend at Kodak. SS meetings were the most wasteful hours I spent at work. Damn glad to have left and the BS programs like this was one of the reasons. My two cents.

Party like it's $19.99

[NWFlyer 2]

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To use it as a one-size-fits-all project management or process improvement methodology is stupid.

Yep, I pretty much agree with that. I feel the same way about PMI certification, which is one of the reasons I haven't pursued it, either.

There are organizations that live and die by it, though, just as there are organizations for which Six Sigma certification is a critical thing.

I have an MBA and a ton of practical, hands-on process improvement experience and project management experience. Any methodology is just going to give me another set of tools and a common language that I can use within an organization to apply my real-world experience and common sense (which we all know isn't that common anymore).

I want to learn about it for the sole purpose of being able to talk about it intelligently in an interview with an organization for whom this methodology is important, and to show that I've spent my time off learning about something that is important to a lot of organizations. I can spend a lot of time giving real-world examples, and if it's important to them that I get certified, we can talk about how they're going to pay for my training after they hire me.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[Zenister 0]

Good Process actually protects your products, performance and end users.

Lack of good process is wasted energy and causes significant rework that could be avoided by doing it right the first time.

all of these 'management methods' are intended to DEVELOP good process specific to your business. Wither they work or not depends on the people implementing them, and how commited the organization is to actual improvement vs lip service improvements and bullets on the manager's resume.

but dont throw the baby out with the bathwater just because so many managers and organizations have done this badly. The value lies in getting everyone to actually think about how things could be done better, then actually doing it.

____________________________________
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[madhatter 0]

First time I heard about Six Sigma was when I read "Jack - autobiography of John F Welch".

The bio makes a very nice read & opens your eyes to various interesting management ideas besides just the quality aspect.

I've seen many of these management principles & now Six Sigma implemented at one of my ex-employers (whre I'm still very informally involved) & think it's great.

Once again - "Jack" & then "Winning" of John F Welch - puts it all into perspective

A VERY MERRY UNBIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!
D.S # 125

[BIGUN 1,065]

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Who's recommended w/r/t R&D and fostering innovation?

Innovation - I'd have to say my favorite is Edward M. Marshall's, "Transforming the Way We Work" (Offloading the structure first mindset).
As to R&D, I've read some white papers of which I'd have to put Dr. Gobeli at the top of my list (Professor at Oregon). There were a few others that I "believe" are archived at IEEE, but they were mostly how the organization "perceived" their TQM program's affect on R&D... But am not aware of any specific books on the subject.

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What method(s) does Google use?

Pigeons

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[NWFlyer 2]

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What method(s) does Google use?

Taken directly from a Google job listing (to which I've applied):

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Proven ability to manage and improve complex business processes (Six Sigma exposure a big plus).

So, they're sipping the Kool-Aid, but they aren't requiring you to drink the full cup. I can deal with that.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[BIGUN 1,065]

The Six Sigma Way - Online

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[riddler 0]

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What method(s) does Google use?

A good friend of mine - smartest person I ever worked with - was quoted by the local tech news as saying something to this effect:

"Surround yourself with the smartest people you can find. Give them whatever tools they need to get the job done."

That pretty much sums up Google's strategy. I'm sure they have processes, but they also have more PhDs than any think-tank from the 1950s. And they can afford all sorts of cool toys.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[BIGUN 1,065]

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"Surround yourself with the smartest people you can find. Give them whatever tools they need to get the job done."

That's part of a Harvey MacKay quote, from his book, "Swim with the Sharks."
One page, one paragraph on Leadership...

"Surround yourself with good people, give them an objective, turn them loose and stay the hell out of their way."

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[futuredivot 0]

If you're going to get really involved in SS-you'll probably want to look through some of These

You are only as strong as the prey you devour

[NWFlyer 2]

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If you're going to get really involved in SS-you'll probably want to look through some of These

Ouch.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[happythoughts 0]

The 2/27 Dilbert is topical. Dilbert clicky