Deck 3: Leadership and Strategic Planning

Question 1

Thomas Berry, author of Managing the Total Quality Transformation, said: "Too often management attempts to implement strategy by describing attitudes, however, management needs to take steps to influence the actions employees take." From a leadership point of view, what did he mean?

Answer 1

Six Sigma practitioners know that effective leaders provide guidance, often in the physical 'walk the talk' type of format. These leaders make sure that their actions correspond with a written vision or mission statement. Effective leaders communicate the values of the organization to their employees by translating the vision and mission into day-to-day activities. To do this effectively, leaders talk with customers, identify the organization's critical success factors, and share this information about the things the organization absolutely must do well in order to attract and retain customers. Creating alignment is essentially policy deployment, the step-by-step process of translating the organization's vision and mission into strategies supported by goals and objectives which in turn become work activities for the employees. Leaders ensure that the organization's vision, mission and strategies, goals and daily activities remain focused on these critical factors.
In order to create alignment, effective leaders practice Dr. Deming's point: Implement leadership. Knowing alignment is not created by wishful-thinking, effective leaders are the first to ask:
Does the employee know what he/she is supposed to do?
Does the employee have the means to determine whether or not he/she is doing the job correctly?
Does the employee have the authority and the means to correct the process when something is wrong?
Effective leaders are also the first to realize that if any of these questions go unanswered, chances are, fault lies with leadership, not with the employees. To help create alignment, effective leaders carefully design employee policies supporting the links between the critical success factors identified by their customers and the employees' day-to-day activities. Effective leaders set realistic goals for their employees and give timely rewards to those who meet these goals. Leaders seek out employees' ideas and actively support the good ones. Very few people are truly good listeners, effective leaders have learned to listen to their employees. It helps to keep in mind that the same letters spell the words "listen" and "silent". Leaders also place a high priority on expanding employee capabilities and responsibilities through education and training.

Question 2

Deming said "Your job as a leader is to manage the change necessary." What does that mean?

Answer 2

Change is rarely easy. Leaders need to understand that resistance to change is a natural human reaction. Effective leaders know that in order for change to occur, resistance to those changes must be expected and planned for. Essentially, they manage change by managing resistance. They may take a preventive approach, meeting resistance head on before it starts. For instance, they may realize that resistance to a change may occur because additional knowledge or skills will be required. An effective leader, managing resistance, will provide the appropriate training and education. Or they may take a wait and see approach, planning to deal with resistance as it arises. In either case, leaders must clearly communicate the new expectations and the reasons behind the changes so that people understand why they are being asked to change. Their employees are looking to them and asking the question: 'What do you want me to do tomorrow that is different from what I am doing today?' Effective leaders provide training and time to make the change. They also structure their reward system to support the change. As Figure 7.1 describes, if an individual can see the reason for the change and has time to make the change, they will usually make the effort to make the change. As a person becomes more comfortable with the new way of doing things, the old way slowly dies out. This change process must be supported by pressure from the reward system, time to adjust to the change, and any necessary training to facilitate the change.

Question 3

Why is a well-thought-out strategic plan critical to the success of a company implementing the Six Sigma methodology?

Answer 3

Strategic planning is a process of involving everyone in matching the vision, mission and core values of an organization with the current situation to focus tactical activities now and in the future. Strategic plans set the direction and pace for the entire organization. The purpose of a strategic plan is to develop and achieve the organization's mission in a manner consistent with its vision and values. The strategic plan spells out the specific goals and objectives that must be accomplished in order to reach the vision. A strategic plan seeks to align how the customers' needs are met through daily business activities with the values, mission, vision and goals of the organization. Performance measures, integrated into the strategic plan, allow leaders to judge how the organization is progressing toward its goals and objectives and therefore its vision.
Successful long-term strategic planning answers some basic questions:
-What business is the organization really in?
-What are the organization's principal strengths and weaknesses for competing in this market? What does it takes to compete successfully?
-What does the organization wish to become in the future?

Question 4

Deming said "Your job as a leader is to manage the change necessary." What does that mean from a strategic planning point of view?

Question 5

A school system has decided to adopt a Six Sigma approach to doing business. Describe two key things they need to do to make a success of this adventure.

Question 6

Select one of Deming's fourteen points from Chapter 2 and discuss how it relates to leadership.

Question 7

"It takes personal involvement to understand and remove the barriers that stand between current capabilities and improvement." How does this statement by W. Edwards Deming relate to leadership?

Question 8

Relate the material presented in Chapter 2 to strategic planning by selecting one of Deming's fourteen points and discussing how it relates to strategic planning.

Question 9

From a strategic planning point of view, what did Thomas Berry, author of Managing the Total Quality Transformation, mean when he said: "Too often management attempts to implement strategy by describing attitudes, however, management needs to take steps to influence the actions employees take."

Question 10

Many companies have missions and visions and strategic plans. Describe one possible reason why they might not be as successful as they could be if good strategic planning in not practiced.