Team Dynamics and Performance for Six Sigma Projects

To help implement a merger, a team of people from different departments, including R&D and HR, is formed. It disbands when its goal is reached. What type of Six Sigma team best fits this description?

Ad-hoc.

Match solutions to the common meeting problems they can help address. Problems may have more than one solution, and solutions may address more than one problem. Adjust team responsibilities to align them with individual strengths Clarify goals and expectations Bring the discussion back to the agenda items Keep a "parking lot" of any additional issues that come up Provide data and resources so that the team can move the project forward

Adjust team responsibilities to align them with individual strengths - Your team can't seem to make a decision. Clarify goals and expectations - Your team can't seem to make a decision. The team gets sidetracked by a regulation that has just been announced and that may affect the project. Bring the discussion back to the agenda items - A team member dominates the meeting by talking about his own achievements. Keep a "parking lot" of any additional issues that come up - The team gets sidetracked by a regulation that has just been announced and that may affect the project. Provide data and resources so that the team can move the project forward - Your team can't seem to make a decision.

At a Six Sigma project team meeting, participants are unable to make a decision on how to get started on a project and end up talking in circles. How can you avoid this kind of behavior in meetings?

Adjust team roles and responsibilities so that people's strengths are aligned with their responsibilities. Clarify expectations and ask what data, support, or resources are needed to move the project forward.

What responsibility do Six Sigma Black Belts have that Green Belts do not?

Black Belts are directly responsible for the execution of Six Sigma projects.

Which statements about organizational roles for a Six Sigma project are accurate?

Black Belts are the project managers for Six Sigma initiatives, and they train Green Belts. Master Black Belts make sure that appropriate projects are selected for Six Sigma initiatives, and they train Black Belts. The Master Black Belt mentors the Green Belt. Green Belts usually work on projects directly related to their function. Yellow Belts are employees with basic training in Six Sigma tools who are actively involved in Six Sigma projects. Champions act as power brokers in support of the project within the organization's corporate culture. Champions protect the interests of a Six Sigma project within the corporate culture of the organization. The Champion ensures that the Six Sigma project gets the necessary resources and aligns with organizational strategic plans. Executive leadership is responsible for the overall vision and implementation of Six Sigma.

What's the best description of the role of team members on a Six Sigma project?

Bring relevant experience or expertise to the project to help accomplish tasks and goals.

There are several types of roles on a Six Sigma team. Match the roles to their appropriate responsibilities. Coach Process owner Sponsor Team member Facilitator

Coach - Helps the team understand the tools and methodologies to be used; could be the Master Black Belt. Process owner - Works closely with the employees who will be implementing the process improvement, providing functional expertise. Sponsor - Helps the team get the resources they need for the project. Team member - Works with team leader to carry out project tasks and functions. Facilitator - Helps the team communicate effectively so the project keeps moving in the right direction.

Your project involves designing in-store digital signage for a high-end grocery store to improve customer experience. Match communication methods you can use to situations they are best suited for. E-mail Telephone In person

E-mail - You need to forward a revised project timeline to your team. Telephone - You want to congratulate the project's chief developer for winning a national innovation award. In person - You want the project's systems engineer to teach you how to enter information into the new signage system.

There are several other types of roles on a Six Sigma team. Match each role to its responsibilities. Facilitator Coach Team Member Process owner Sponsor

Facilitator - Organizes meetings to make sure the team stays focused and communicates effectively. Coach - Provides expert advice and assistance with Six Sigma tools and methodologies. Process owner - Is responsible for the business process that is the target of a Six Sigma project. Sponsor - Makes sure the Six Sigma project plan aligns with the business case.

During a meeting, team members tell long stories of problems they solved in the past that, although interesting, are not relevant to the issues being discussed. How can you avoid this kind of behavior?

Gently remind the team of the agenda and the key issues to be covered at the meeting. Use a moderator to help reduce the number of digressions.

The nominal group technique can help Six Sigma teams generate and prioritize potential solutions to a problem. What are accurate statements about this technique?

Group members come up with and review suggestions individually and in private. Each group member gets an equal voice during the process. Questions about ideas are allowed but no criticisms. Questions about proposed ideas are permitted.

A team's project is to improve a hospital's patient admin system. The team leader meets with the medical staff to discuss requirements for new procedures. How does communication flow in this example?

Horizontal Communication.

A Green Belt team leader posts regular status updates on a company intranet to keep team members informed about a project's progress. What type of communication best fits this description?

Horizontal communication.

You're setting up a web-based subscription management system to allow customers to access professional journals. Match the communication methods you can use to the situations they're best suited to. In person Telephone E-mail

In person - Communicate with the executive director of a major Internet provider to gauge her interest in partnering in the project. Telephone - Relay a complete list of the site's journals to senior management, the project team, and the chief stakeholders. E-mail - Contact a publisher a day before the deadline to remind her to sign the contract between her journal and your company.

During a project to improve a company's warehousing efficiency, you use different communication methods. Match the communication methods you can use to the situations they are best suited to. In person E-mail Telephone

In person - You are interested in communicating a job offer to someone employed by a competitor. E-mail - You need to relay the final approved project charter to your team and the project's major stakeholders. Telephone - You need to double check the distances between your company's main warehouses before you head into a negotiation meeting with a new trucking firm.

Which statements about the steps in the brainstorming process are correct?

In the evaluation and analysis phases, team members review suggestions in relation to criteria such as cost, time, and scope, rank the best ideas, and then check the top few solutions against project data. During the presentation stage, a final report is submitted to the principal stakeholder for approval.

What are the developmental stages of groups?

Norming Forming Recognizing Storming Adjourning Performing

A team focuses on its goals, and feels confident making decisions and sharing responsibilities. The team leader only offers guidance as needed. Which team development stage best fits this description?

Performing.

Your team's goal is to find a faster way to get parts to a manufacturing floor. It focuses on solutions that are easy to implement and have quick results. What team type best fits this description?

Process improvement

Your team's focus is on creating a plan to improve overall efficiency in an organization's production department. You give ongoing direction to the team. What type of team best fits this description?

Quality

A Six Sigma team works with minimal direction, makes quick decisions on its own, is collaborative, and gets guidance rather than directives from its leader. What team type best fits this description?

Self-managed or agile.

Your team has yet to gel, and conflicts arise as team members struggle over control. You seek opinions and use a facilitative style to manage these conflicts. What stage of development is your team in?

Storming

What is the difference between the executive leadership and the Champion role in a Six Sigma project?

The executive leadership provides the strategic vision for a Six Sigma project, whereas the Champion protects the interests of the project within the corporate culture of the organization.

Which statements about the steps in the brainstorming process are true?

The speculation step is when the team generates ideas. In the presentation step, a final report is prepared and presented to the customer, principal stakeholder, or other decision maker for approval. In the first two steps - identification and information - the problem or opportunity is clarified and the team is given background data and criteria relevant to the issue. After the main idea-generation step, the team breaks to consider what has been proposed and to let the ideas settle. The analysis step is when the team reviews the top few solutions and checks them against project data and requirements. The evaluation step is when the team establishes acceptability criteria with regard to cost, time, quality, functionality, and scope, and then ranks the ideas according to those criteria.

You notice that team members seem to accept the first suggested solution to a problem, talk a lot about team spirit, and are making poor decisions. What's the main problem and what can you do to help?

The team is experiencing groupthink, and you can help by bringing in outsiders to provide critical reactions to the team's assumptions and decisions.

In an ad-hoc project team, some individuals feel pressured to show results. In turn, they pressure other team members to move before they are ready. What's the main issue here and how can you help?

The team is rushing to accomplishment, and you can help by determining which factors are creating time pressures on team members.

A team is inferring project requirements, rather than using information to gather them. In the end, their efforts are misguided, and the project is delayed. What's the main problem and how can you help?

The team is using attribution rather than facts to guide its actions, and you can help by making sure the team uses verified sources and data.

You're working on a project to reduce waste at a factory. A project sponsor informs you of changes in objectives that will affect the project budget. What type of communication is this an example of?

Top-down.

Suppose an individual on your Six Sigma team is afraid to speak up in meetings, meaning he misses opportunities to relay important project information. Which actions can best help in this situation?

Use balancing dialog techniques to encourage the individual to be more engaged. Create buy-in by using rewards to engage the individual.