Role of the Six Sigma Champion
The Six Sigma Champion by definition is the individual in your company who translates the mission, vision, and values into a Six Sigma deployment strategy which supports the goals of the company. They do this by determining which projects to deploy and identifying resource needs and removal of roadblocks.
Six Sigma team formation consists of stakeholders, executives, champions, and team members (yellow belts) who are led by a green belt or black belt. Project level membership may include master black belts, black belts, green belts, or yellow belts who help in the management of the improvement initiative. Team members are obtained throughout the organization for expertise and technical guidance. Six Sigma roles and responsibilities are matched to individual strengths that have already been demonstrated within the organization. These assignments are additionally streamlined during Six Sigma Certification development. This ensures that all Six Sigma roles and responsibilities correspond to the talents of the individuals they are attributed to, creating an efficient and high-functioning team that will be able to identify areas in need of improvement and create detailed plans to address them.
Project Roles:
- Executives provide the strategic alignment within the organization for initiatives and Six Sigma projects.
- Champions guide the team through organizational support and resources, removing roadblocks.
- Master black belts train black and green belts and manage the strategic direction of the Six Sigma program.
- Black belts lead problem solving Six Sigma teams.
- Green belts assist with data collection and analysis for black belt projects.
- Yellow belts review overall activities and participate as project team members.
The Champion is the person that develops the idea to undertake a Six Sigma project within a part of the business. They are the person sponsoring the deployment. They will generally be a senior manager, often an executive within the business such as a Vice President or Director. They should have training in Six Sigma for Champions in order to have a deep understanding of the principles of the methodology.
The Six Sigma Champion plays several important roles in leading Six Sigma teams to the successful completion of projects. Their responsibilities are to:
- Mentor and coach Six Sigma teams
- Remove organizational obstacles the team encounters
- Ensure projects are aligned with the business’s strategic plan
- Maintain team focus
- Ensure timely completion of projects
- The Six Sigma Champion will support the project team by providing several infrastructure needs such as:
- Supporting resources
- Inter-organization communications
- Six Sigma expertise and process driven techniques
- Project management skills
- Business metric development
- Training needs for project teams and company employees for Six Sigma
- Spread and sustain improvements
Six Sigma Project Champions drive the performance of project black belts and green belts and are responsible for the results of Six Sigma projects under their guidance. They communicate the link between Six Sigma and the business strategy and identify the black belt and green belts for the project based on their skillsets and the requirements of the project.
The Champion has a significant responsibility for the success of a Six Sigma project, typically approving, reviewing, or managing the project by providing the resources, eliminating bottlenecks, and diffusing conflict. The champion is not expected to do a project, but they are expected at a high level to have an in-depth understanding of the process and requirements of Six Sigma.
The Champion is expected to have the process and Six Sigma knowledge at the level they can explain a project to both Six Sigma belts and executive leaders. As Six Sigma Certification progresses, you will understand the complexity of the level of Six Sigma knowledge you will need for success. Through Six Sigma courses, the experience of properly implementing Six Sigma structures within an organization will become apparent as targets of flawed internal practices are identified and corrected with the help of detailed analysis during instruction.
The Management and Strategy Institute is dedicated to providing quality training and education to those looking to improve the internal processes of their organization. We realize that specific skills are needed to properly discern areas needing enhancement and develop cohesive plans that will address these issues. The Six Sigma Certification process will enable you and your staff to better understand the complexities involved in overcoming issues that are stopping your company from achieving its full potential. For more information about the Management and Strategy Institute and how we can provide the tools necessary to better your organization, contact us today.
