Change management is a critical step in the success of Six Sigma Projects. As a Six Sigma Black Belt, it is critical that you understand your role in this process so that you can work to create effective projects every single time. Whether you’re working with a company that has 100 employees or 1,000, you need to understand the company politics and issues surrounding reluctance so that you can use the tools given to you during your Six Sigma Training to promote changes and get people on board with Six Sigma Projects.

Six Sigma Jobs are found both within companies and outside of them. Where you are working will dictate your direct ability to change people’s minds. An outsider coming in to consult on a Six Sigma Process will generally face much more resistance than someone from within the company who is promoting change and trying to get people on board with Six Sigma Projects and implementation. You need to use the Six Sigma metrics and data that are collected to show people how they are going to be affected by this change. Giving them visual affirmations as to how the process affects them and the company will be a much more successful way of handling this issue.

It would be ideal to think that as long as those who are directly involved in the process are on board, that things can carry on without incident. However, when you change a process within a company, it affects everyone, and not having the support from the entire company can ruin the project and basically make your efforts wasted. There isn’t one proven way to get people to accept change, but there are many tools that are used in Six Sigma Methodology to help you in the process and along the way. Make sure that you take advantage of them and take your role in change management seriously.

Once the changes have been explained to everyone and the process has been accepted by all invested parties, you can then begin making the improvements and completing the necessary Six Sigma Projects. It doesn’t matter whether you work on the inside or if you are contracted in by a company as an outside position, because knowing how to deal with change management needs to be in your skill set no matter where you fit into the equation. Successful Six Sigma Projects start with successful change management, and that is your first and arguably most important role as a Six Sigma Black Belt.