Nayism 35: Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble, Send me a Black Belt on the Double. I have a problem and he needs to fix it!

At first, this statement may not sound like a “nayism” but beware. Something is brewing in this organization and it is definitely trouble. Why? Here’s what I say . . .

This process owner is very clear about his ownership of the problem but does not seem to own the fix. Too many times a Black Belt is perceived as the “magic” ingredient to make a problem go away. There is no denying that a talented Black Belt and team can solve some really dreadful problems but the solutions are only as effective as their implementation and successful implementation requires ownership by the process owner. Sometimes in their zeal, the Black Belt takes too much ownership of the problem and the solution. This has the unintended consequence of releasing the process owner of theirs. There is nothing scarier than trying to fix a process without a process owner (believe me – I’ve seen it).

The essential ingredient in any project solution and successful implementation is the process owner. Only if they own the problem and the solution will the true ‘magic’ occur. Happy Halloween!