The 'One-Hit Wonder' Green Belt!

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Welcome to why they Fail and the simple key to success. I'm your host, Kevin Clay. Have you ever seen this happen? A company invests a fortune, we're talking time, energy and significant resources to train a new wave of highly capable lean Six Sigma green belts. They complete their first project, deliver a huge tangible win, and everyone celebrates. And then, crickets. Nothing. That incredible potential just vanishes into thin air. This is what my team and I call the one hit wonder problem. And it's a frustratingly common and costly pattern we see in organizations all the time. All that investment, all that initial momentum for continuous improvement just fizzles out. So why does this happen? How do these smart, motivated individuals get sidelined or right after their first big success? And more importantly, what are the simple foundational keys that companies miss which could unlock sustainable long term improvement? Today, two of my top master black belt mentors here at Six Sigma Development Solutions, Frank and Lola, are going to dig deep into this exact issue. They're pulling back the curtain on why so many continuous improvement efforts falter and what it really takes to build a culture of lasting success. Let's listen in. [00:01:27] Speaker B: You know that feeling? [00:01:28] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:01:29] Speaker B: When a company pours, I mean really pours millions into training their lean Six Sigma green belts. Oh yeah, they celebrate that. First big win, first successful project, and. [00:01:39] Speaker C: Then nothing vanished into thin air. [00:01:43] Speaker B: It's. It's a question we hear all the time here at Six Sigma Development Solutions. [00:01:47] Speaker C: It's such a frustrating pattern, isn't it? You see that initial burst of energy, real impact, and then the whole continuous improvement thing just fizzles out. [00:01:56] Speaker B: Yeah, fizzles. [00:01:56] Speaker C: It's like finding a seam of gold and then just, I don't know, walking away and leaving it buried. [00:02:01] Speaker B: Exactly. And that specific frustration, that's what we're digging to today on the deep dive. [00:02:05] Speaker C: Right. [00:02:05] Speaker B: As master black belts here on the team, we run into this constantly. It's pervasive, it's costly. And we call it the one hit wonder green belt problem. [00:02:15] Speaker C: And our mission today really is to pull back the curtain on why these CI efforts sometimes falter. Even when you've got really smart, capable, trained people ready to go. [00:02:25] Speaker B: Ready and willing. [00:02:26] Speaker C: Yeah. And maybe more importantly, we want to talk about the honestly, pretty simple foundational keys that unlock sustainable success. The things that get missed. [00:02:38] Speaker B: Yeah. And our colleague Kevin Clay, you know, another master black belt here at Six Sigma Development Solutions, he dives into these kinds of critical failures a lot on his why they Fail series. Really gets to the heart of what sabotages CI success. [00:02:53] Speaker C: He does good stuff. [00:02:55] Speaker B: So we're gonna build on that today, looking really closely at this, this specific phenomenon, the one hit wonder. [00:03:02] Speaker C: You know, it actually ties back to something we talked about in a previous deep dive. Remember we discussed organizations struggling with understanding true process capability. [00:03:11] Speaker B: Right. Often because the training was, let's just say, a bit thin. [00:03:14] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:03:15] Speaker B: Watered down. [00:03:16] Speaker C: Exactly. And we talk about how trying to rely only on qualitative tools, you know, without the solid statistical analysis, it' trying to build a house with just a hammer. [00:03:23] Speaker B: No blueprint. [00:03:24] Speaker C: No blueprint. You might get something standing, but it's probably going to crumble eventually. [00:03:28] Speaker B: Right. It just leads to constant firefighting, reacting instead of preventing companies get stuck. Low yields, wasted resources, the whole cycle. It's a classic case of missing the point of data driven improvement. And that really sets the stage for today's problem, doesn't it? [00:03:46] Speaker C: It really does. Because now we're talking about these one hit wonders. And this is something we've seen countless times. An individual goes through you serious lean Six Sigma green belt training, gets certified, does great initial projects, shows real skill, gets results, tangible results. And then, and then nothing. [00:04:05] Speaker B: Silence, Wait, nothing. Like they're never assigned another project. [00:04:08] Speaker C: Very. Just stopped. Think about the waste there. I mean the profound waste. All that investment, time, money, resources, developing this really skilled person, only for them to become a one hit wonder. One success gets the cert and then their CI journey, at least in that company, just grinds to a complete halt. [00:04:26] Speaker B: Wow, that's. That's almost unbelievable. It's like training a marathon runner. They win their first big race and then you tell them, nope, sorry, you can't run anymore. [00:04:36] Speaker C: Exactly. That's a great analogy. [00:04:38] Speaker B: All that potential for ongoing, sustained improvement just left sitting on the table. What is going on? What allows that kind of waste? [00:04:47] Speaker C: Well, fundamentally, I think at the core of it, there's often a deep misunderstanding of Kaizen. [00:04:52] Speaker B: Kaizen Continuous improvement. [00:04:54] Speaker C: Right. But the emphasis has to be on continuous. That's the key part. It's not a one and done fix. And that's where so many organizations really stumble. [00:05:02] Speaker B: So people think it is a one time fix. They see green belts as just temporary problem solvers. [00:05:06] Speaker C: Sometimes. Yeah. Or they don't grasp the system needed. A green belt is meant to be a catalyst, an agent for ongoing positive change. But they simply cannot do that job effectively if the right infrastructure, the right support system isn't built around them. And frankly most companies, they don't really understand how to build that CI infrastructure properly. [00:05:27] Speaker B: So is there this like underlying belief that once you Train a green belt, they'll just, I don't know, magically fix everything on their own. [00:05:34] Speaker C: That really is the pipe dream. Sometimes, yes. It's a basic, fundamental misunderstanding of how sustainable CI actually works. Look, getting a green belt certification for your own professional development, that's crazy great. Absolutely equips you with valuable skills. But just training belts and then kind of hoping they'll spontaneously generate massive improvements for the organization after that first project. That is just not a strategy. It's wishful thinking. [00:06:01] Speaker B: Okay, so if hoping isn't a strategy, what actually happens? How do these capable, motivated green belts get sidelined? [00:06:08] Speaker C: Well, without a formal structure, specifically a structure for identifying the right projects. [00:06:13] Speaker B: Right. Projects, meaning? [00:06:14] Speaker C: Meaning projects based on their real impact to the important metrics, the key performance indicators, the KPIs. Without that, the belt quickly runs into trouble. [00:06:22] Speaker B: How so? [00:06:23] Speaker C: Okay, picture this. Bright, motivated green belt finishes their certification project. Maybe they optimize some small contained process. Great success, leadership is happy, gives them a pat on the back. Okay, but then crickets. There's no clear path forward, no system in place to say, okay, here are the big organizational level problems prioritized by strategic impact. Here is your next target. [00:06:49] Speaker B: Ah, so they're kind of left hanging. Or worse. Leadership steps in, but maybe not in the right way. [00:06:54] Speaker C: Exactly. Right. The green belt wanting to contribute might just pick something they think looks important, but it might not actually align with the company's big goals. Okay, or, and we see this all the time, leadership assigns the next project based on whatever the latest fire drill is. [00:07:08] Speaker B: Oh, boy. [00:07:08] Speaker C: Or maybe it's just their personal pain point. You know, not based on data, not prioritization ties. Strategically, sometimes leadership expects that single green belt to be the company's miracle worker. [00:07:18] Speaker B: The sole problem solver. [00:07:19] Speaker C: Yeah, or they use them to react to today's crisis, or even just to push some personal agenda. It puts the whole CI effort on really shaky ground right from the start. [00:07:29] Speaker B: And the consequence of that. Yeah, of that kind of misguided direction. [00:07:32] Speaker C: Well, without a solid project. Hopper. We'll talk more about that. And without that clear line of sight connecting projects to company wide KPIs, these green belts often get sent off on, well, wild goose chases. Projects that might feel busy, but ultimately yield little, maybe no, sustainable impact on the bottom line on profit. [00:07:53] Speaker B: And that lack of real roi, that. [00:07:55] Speaker C: Leads to a loss of focus, a loss of momentum, and eventually the whole continuous improvement effort just peters out. Often within, say, 12 to 18 months. [00:08:06] Speaker B: Wow, that fast? [00:08:07] Speaker C: Yeah, it can be surprisingly quick. [00:08:09] Speaker B: And that's not Just about the money spent on training. It feels bigger than that. [00:08:12] Speaker C: Oh, absolutely. It's way bigger. It's lost opportunities for real improvement. It's talented employees getting disillusioned, people who are genuinely excited to make a difference. And it's the company itself just staying stuck in inefficient ways. You know, when a company doesn't build that sustainable CI culture, it loses that focus on constantly getting better. And over time, that can seriously harm the business. It can even contribute to its eventual dem. It's like a slow bleed. [00:08:39] Speaker B: Okay, so that's the problem. The one hit wonder and the pretty grim consequences. What's the alternative? How do companies avoid this? What's the simple key to success? [00:08:51] Speaker C: As we often say, it really does boil down to building a strong foundation for continuous improvement. Our methodology, you know, it covers seven key foundational elements, but let's zero in on three that are super relevant to stopping this one hit Wonder problem dead in its tracks. [00:09:05] Speaker B: Okay, let's hear them. That's number one. [00:09:07] Speaker C: All right, first foundational piece. Building the plan. You absolutely need a detailed deployment plan for your CI efforts. Looking out, say, 12 to 36 months. And this has to happen before any training kicks off? [00:09:17] Speaker B: Not just a training schedule, right? [00:09:19] Speaker C: No, no, much more than that. It's about defining clear, lean six sigma deployment goals, identifying those crucial organizational KPIs we talked about, and critically developing a robust project hopper as part of that plan. [00:09:34] Speaker B: So without that plan, the green belts are just adrift? [00:09:37] Speaker C: Exactly. Like skilled sailors, maybe, but with no map, no compass, no destination. They know how to sail, but they've got no direction. Lots of activity, maybe, but no real progress towards a goal. [00:09:50] Speaker B: Makes perfect sense. Activity isn't achievement. Okay, what's the second key element? [00:09:55] Speaker C: The second one. And honestly, this is probably the absolute cornerstone of the whole thing. Formal buy in of the company's leadership. [00:10:01] Speaker B: The leadership piece. Always crucial. [00:10:03] Speaker C: Always. If leadership isn't genuinely actively engaged, supportive and accountable for the CIA effort's success, it will fail. Period. [00:10:12] Speaker B: And you mean more than just saying the right words? Right? More than lip service? [00:10:15] Speaker C: Oh, absolutely. More than lip service. It means leadership needs training too. They need to understand their specific roles and responsibilities in making CI work. It's not just something those green belt people do over there. [00:10:26] Speaker B: Yeah, I've seen that breakdown so many times. When the execs aren't really bought in, you get turf wars popping up everywhere. CI projects get pushed aside because of personal agendas or departmental silos. [00:10:37] Speaker C: Exactly. It makes it impossible for the green belts, no matter how Good they are to actually succeed. [00:10:42] Speaker B: Right. They can't navigate those political minefields alone. [00:10:45] Speaker C: Precisely. Which leads us perfectly into the third critical element needed to get past the one hit wonder stage. A robust Project Hopper. [00:10:54] Speaker B: Okay, the Project Hopper. You mentioned it earlier. Why is this so vital? [00:10:58] Speaker C: It's absolutely crucial for making CI sustainable. Think of a Project Hopper as a system. It lets the company identify potential CI projects from all over the organization. Top down, bottom up. [00:11:08] Speaker B: Okay. [00:11:09] Speaker C: And then importantly, these potential projects, these problems are rigorously prioritized. Based on what? Based on their expected impact on those key site, departmental and overall organizational KPIs. [00:11:22] Speaker B: So it ensures that the next project someone like a Greenbelt gets assigned isn't just, I don't know, the loudest complaint or someone's pet project. [00:11:30] Speaker C: Exactly. It ensures it's the next most crucial project for the company's actual success. Data driven prioritization makes sense. And this Hopper idea is also where the voice of the operator becomes incredibly important. You know, we always stress that organizations need that holistic view, right? To see the real problems worth fixing. [00:11:50] Speaker B: Right. [00:11:50] Speaker C: Well, the folks on the floor, the operators dealing with the process details day in, day out, they often have the absolute best insights into what's really going wrong and maybe even how to fix it. [00:12:01] Speaker B: And ignoring them can be incredibly expensive. I remember hearing about that company that spent, was it $250,000 on a new machine, when just repairing an old one would have solved the actual problem. But nobody asked the operators who knew the machine inside and out. [00:12:15] Speaker C: A classic painful example. A good Project Hopper provides that formal channel. It's a mechanism to capture those brilliant ideas and insights from everyone, especially the front lines, not just from the leadership team down. [00:12:27] Speaker B: So it brings those valuable ground level insights right into the prioritization process. [00:12:31] Speaker C: Exactly. Because look, when these foundational pieces are missing, the solid plan, the real leadership buy in, the functioning Project Hopper, those newly trained green belts, even with the best training, the best intentions, they are fundamentally set up to fail. [00:12:47] Speaker B: Yeah, it's almost cruel, isn't it? You train them, get them excited, and then throw them into an environment where they can't succeed. [00:12:53] Speaker C: It really is. They end up isolated. They might inadvertently step into someone else's sandbox, you know, trying to fix a process without the necessary buy in from that department's manager. [00:13:03] Speaker B: Which leads to those turf wars you mentioned. Resentment, roadblock. [00:13:08] Speaker C: Yep, total demoralization for the Green Belt. Or maybe they get tasked with a project that's just way too big, trying to solve world hunger, basically, instead of. [00:13:16] Speaker B: Focusing on manageable Concrete, impactful improvements. [00:13:19] Speaker C: Right. And we need to be crystal clear here. This is not the green belt's fault. It is the fault of the company's leadership for failing to build the necessary infrastructure, the supporting environment. They invested in the training, sure, but they didn't invest in what was needed for that training to actually yield sustainable, long term results. [00:13:38] Speaker B: Okay, so let's try and wrap this up for you, our listener. The big takeaway here is that true continuous improvement. It's not about training a few elite superheroes and expecting them to save the world single handedly. [00:13:50] Speaker C: Definitely not. It's really about building a culture. A culture where CI is just embedded in how the organization operates day to day. Part of its DNA. Yeah, it's about empowering everyone in the organization to see problems, to identify opportunities and to contribute to solutions. All guided by clear company goals and genuinely supported by leaders who are actively involved. [00:14:13] Speaker B: So if you're listening to this and you're recognizing some of these patterns in your own company. [00:14:17] Speaker C: Yeah, maybe it's that executive lip service to training initiatives. Or maybe it's expecting one newly minted green belt to magically fix decades of problems. [00:14:27] Speaker B: Or treating CI like it's just leadership's latest shiny new toy. [00:14:31] Speaker C: Right. If any of that sounds familiar, it really is. Time to hit pause, step back and reflect. [00:14:37] Speaker B: Ask yourself, are we building our improvement efforts on a solid, well engineered foundation or are we just taking shortcuts? The quick fix route that you know deep down is probably going to lead to collapse sooner or later. [00:14:49] Speaker C: Remember, real lasting sustainable change comes from truly understanding that continuous improvement isn't just a project here or there. It's a holistic way of operating. It demands a real cultural shift, not just handing out a few certificates. [00:15:03] Speaker B: So the challenge to you is stop creating one hit wonders in your organization. Start building that strong, essential foundation for continuous improvement today. [00:15:13] Speaker A: Alright, before we wrap up today's deep dive into failure, let's talk about turning things around. You've heard some hard truths about why they fail. Now how about learning how not to fail? My book, why they Fail is packed with even more real world insights and proven strategies to build a truly sustainable continuous improvement culture. And I want to give you a copy for free. Just click the link in the show notes. You will find another link that is your gateway to discovering more about how Six Sigma development solutions can help you avoid the pitfalls we discuss. Do you want to go deeper? We offer public green belt and black belt training at 52 locations worldwide. We also offer virtual options so you can train wherever you are. We can even bring customized on site training directly to your organization. Do you prefer to learn at your own pace? We've got robust online certification training as well. Don't wait for your CI efforts to become another statistic. Click the link in the show notes or if you want to talk it through, call us directly at 866-922-6566. That's 866-922-6567. Get your free book and start building success today. Now that you have experienced the awesome value from this podcast, here's how you can help us reach more people. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. It's a completely free way to support what we do. Also, make sure you're following the podcast on both Spotify and Apple so you get every new episode instantly. Your voice matters. Leave us a five star review and share your experiences or just give us your questions in the comments on Spotify or Apple. Remember, ignorance isn't bliss, it's expensive. I'm Kevin Clay reminding you that real change, change that is sustainable and isn't comfortable. It takes time and discipline. It takes sacrifice, but the transformation will be phenomenal.