A few comments on organizational design and Six Sigma….

Organizational structure is one consideration. The decision to centralize or functionally embed black belts has to consider an organization’s business model, culture and past experience with process improvement. Likewise, compensation, career track, professional development and human capital management practices are important.

In some organizations, Six Sigma deployment hinges on consensus — building momentum through repeated success and visibility through demonstrated benefits. In others, strong leadership and sensible organization design can force adoption.

Everyone likes stories about Six Sigma taking hold and becoming a part of company DNA. Sometimes this comes about by giving managers a stark choice — requiring managers to use Six Sigma as a portfolio of cost savings tools and show benefits, for example, or work through mandated G&A expense reduction. Key to organizational design is the deployment strategy and critical success factors for scale and sustainability.