Six Sigma Black Belt Study Guides 1 www.pmtutor.org Powered by POeT Solvers Limited.
Introduction to Six Sigma Team Facilitation 2 www.pmtutor.org Powered by POeT Solvers Limited.
Index Team motivation Team stages Team communication 3 www.pmtutor.org Powered by POeT Solvers Limited.
Team motivation In the corporate world, all the organizations aim for development in all aspects. So, implementing Six Sigma principles and practices is very important for optimizing individual and team performance that results in the growth of the organization. The crucial principles that motivate Six Sigma teams are classified in three categories. They are as follows: Psychological motivations Social motivations Professional motivations Psychological motivations Motivate the team member to consider himself as the major contributor to a project or related programs. Allow all the team members to engage in the decision-making process. Appreciate team members for their contribution to the team by offering rewards. Ensure that the team members are properly paid for the efforts they put in. 4 www.pmtutor.org Powered by POeT Solvers Limited.
Social motivations Team Facilitation Allow the members to interact socially with others at the work place. Arrange special outings, lunch / dinners, and rewards within the whole group. Incentives such as monetary rewards play a major role in motivating the team members to perform well in the organization. Create an environment that encourages one to maximize his/her potential. Professional motivations Arrange job related training sessions and skill enhancement programs to enhance the confidence of team members. Organize workshops by professional motivators for the team. Ensure that the goals set for the team are sensible and achievable (realistic). 5 www.pmtutor.org Powered by POeT Solvers Limited.
Herzberg s Theory of Motivation Team Facilitation Frederick Herzberg, who was born on April 18, 1923 in Massachusetts, introduced the theory of Motivators and Hygiene Factors. He completed his under graduation at the City College of New York and his degree at the University of Pittsburgh. Later he worked as a professor at Case Western Reserve University and Utah's College of Business. He passed away in the year 2000 at Salt Lake City. Herzberg was the first to evolve a two-dimensional paradigm of factors that occurred from various factors affecting people's mind-set in relation to their work. According to him, the factors which stimulate people at work are different and not simply the opposite of the factors which cause dissatisfaction. His theory states that the absence of hygiene factors could create job dissatisfaction but their presence would not motivate or create satisfaction. 6 www.pmtutor.org Powered by POeT Solvers Limited.
Hertzberg's 'hygiene' needs or maintenance factors stimulate people at the workplace. These factors (dissatisfiers) consistently create only short-term changes in job positions and performances that swiftly fall back to their preceding status. The hygiene factors are as follows: Policy Relationship with supervisor Work conditions Salary Company car and other facilities Status Security Relationship with subordinates Personal life 7 www.pmtutor.org Powered by POeT Solvers Limited.
In contrast, Herzberg's motivating factors that determine a person s job satisfaction were linked with long-term positive effects. They are as follows: Achievement Recognition Work itself Responsibility Advancement 8 www.pmtutor.org Powered by POeT Solvers Limited.
Team stages In order to ensure the success of the Six Sigma project, it is very important for the team leader to know the workings and evolution of the team. The team leader should know team experiences in advance and consider them as a part of normal development. Team evolution in Six Sigma projects usually involves the following stages: Forming: It is a stage of exploration. The team members begin to know each other and their task at hand. They are very optimistic about their roles and responsibilities that bring improvements in the project. But they are unsure about how these roles and responsibilities fit in with the team. When the team members get to know each other, the scope for conflicts will be limited. Storming: It is an important stage for the team. It is characterized by self-oriented behaviors, i.e., behaviors determined by the desires of each person to put his own interest above that of the team. Here the team members try to define their positions and responsibilities in the team and this may lead to conflict and lack of progress in the team. So, in order to focus on achieving the project goals it is important for the team members to keep their personal interests aside. Norming: In this stage, the team members differences are conciliated by accepting the individuality of team members as well as common goals. Certain team norms are created and enforced by the team. 9 www.pmtutor.org Powered by POeT Solvers Limited.
Performing: In the performing stage, the team members combine together and share their task by focusing on achieving the target (i.e., collecting information, making decisions, assessing risks, etc). The team members should classify each other s strengths and weaknesses and know how to make use of all members. Adjourning: In this stage, the team members after accomplishing a particular task will move on to other tasks or they will hire new members. The members will not be satisfied in undertaking monotonous tasks. Unless the group is consciously redeveloped, they will go back to forming / storming stages. Recognition: In this stage, the project team and its members obtain appreciation for their performance. This stage is the end of the project where the project s objectives are achieved. 10 www.pmtutor.org Powered by POeT Solvers Limited.
Team communication The factors that necessitate effective communication are: Absence of communication or inadequate communication is one of the major causes of team failure. Appropriate communication channels and methods are necessary to facilitate smooth functioning of the team. Communication is necessary to make clear the objectives of the team and avoid any ambiguities among team members regarding them. Effective communication can help a team to maintain its unity by clarifying the doubts of the members regarding the decisions taken. 11 www.pmtutor.org Powered by POeT Solvers Limited.
Communication is essential for team bonding. Adequate communication is required to avoid: wastage of time, resources, etc. Mistrust, failure to achieve targets as per schedule. Forms of communication There are mainly three forms of communication, namely, Verbal, Non-verbal, and Written. 12 www.pmtutor.org Powered by POeT Solvers Limited.
Verbal communication: this type of communication involves use of verbal language or sounds. Majority of communication takes place in this form. Non-verbal communication: in this type of communication, communicators use body language and other non-verbal gestures to communicate with others. It is mostly used to emphasize the idea communicated verbally. Written communication: this is the most formal form of communication. It has more longevity compared to others forms of communication. 13 www.pmtutor.org Powered by POeT Solvers Limited.
Communication methods The various forms of communication can be used in many ways to create different types of communication methods or channels that can achieve desired results in different situations. Some of the common communication methods are: Letters Memos Meetings Presentations Status reports Telephone conferences Faxes, e-mail, etc. 14 www.pmtutor.org Powered by POeT Solvers Limited.
The different types of communication methods can be used for various purposes depending on the matter to be communicated and the party to whom the matter is to be communicated. For communication with different types of stakeholders, the communication methods that can be used are: The communication methods like newspapers, media, public relations officer or department, etc. can be used to communicate with external stakeholders or department, etc. can be used to communicate with external stakeholders such as government, society, etc. The communication methods like formal and structured meetings, presentations, teleconferences, memos, status reports, etc. can be used to communicate with internal stakeholders such as sponsor, customer, employees, etc. For communication within the team, communication methods such as formal and informal meetings, memos, emails, face to face conversations, etc. can be used. 15 www.pmtutor.org Powered by POeT Solvers Limited.
In this chapter, we have learnt about: The factors that motivate team and help improve team spirit The stages of through which the team generally evolve Importance of team communication, different forms and methods of communication that a team can use. 16 www.pmtutor.org Powered by POeT Solvers Limited.