Why Continuous Improvement Fails (WTF!)

[00:00:01] Speaker A: Welcome to why they Fail, the podcast that pulls back the curtain on why continuous improvement efforts fail. Buckle up, because we're not here for motivational fluff. We're dissecting the short sighted decisions and leadership agendas that sabotage CI success. But don't worry, we'll clue you in to the few simple keys to success to avoid these pitfalls. If you're ready for the truth, let's do this. [00:00:35] Speaker B: Welcome to why they Fail, the podcast that picks apart the wreckage of continuous improvement efforts. I'm your host, Kevin Clay, a seasoned Master Black Belt mentor at Six Sigma Development Solutions, Inc. I'm here to tell you the stories of leadership agendas and short sighted decisions that derail CI projects. We're not sugarcoating anything in this podcast. Get ready for a raw, unfiltered look at the reasons why so many continuous improvement efforts fail. But don't worry, this is not a doom and gloom podcast. We are also going to show you the insanely simple key to avoiding these pitfalls and building a phenomenal sustainable CI endeavor. Let's dive in. Welcome everyone to the inaugural episode of wtf or why they Fail. I'm Kevin Clay and over the past 25 years as a Master Black Belt and President of Six Sigma Development Solutions, I. I've seen it all. I've witnessed the incredible potential of continuous improvement, the energy and enthusiasm that teams bring to the table, and unfortunately, far too often, I've seen those efforts crash and burn. Hence the name that you see behind me, wtf? Because honestly, sometimes the reasons for failure leave you saying just that. Today, we're setting the stage for what this podcast is and will be all about. We're diving deep into the scenarios, many of which you'll find echoed in my book why they Fail. These aren't just theoretical discussions. These are real world examples, often painful onesof leadership missteps and organizational shortcomings that prevent the establishment of a truly sustainable continuous improvement culture. You'll hear stories of well intentioned initiatives that fizzle out of expensive training programs that deliver little to no tangible results, and and of leadership that talks the talk, but absolutely does not walk the walk. One phrase you'll hear me say a lot in this podcast is common sense is not very common, especially when it comes to building a sustainable culture of continuous improvement. It amazes me how common sense is overlooked, how basic logic is ignored, and how seemingly obvious pitfalls are stumbled into repeatedly. In this podcast you will hear stories like how CI projects were identified by leadership Agenda for From the Ivory Tower and not by data. And by the way, if your leadership is picking CI projects, then you know you've already failed. You will hear stories of yellow belts being tasked with master black belt projects because our leaders do not have any clue how to identify the right projects. You will hear stories of newly trained green belts with little to no experience who were tasked with standing up a CI deployment. In my book why they Fail, read the chapter called when you expect the plumber to build the House to understand the gravity of this pitfall. At this point I bet you are saying this guy has got a really negative view of continuous improvement and I could see how you would believe that, but you couldn't be further from the truth. I'm a zealot for continuous improvement. Methodologies like Lean and Six Sigma are phenomenal tools and and when used correctly can cause amazing transformations in organizations. Unfortunately, most are looking for the quick fix and don't have the stomach to endure the short term sacrifice that it takes to achieve long term sustainability. This leads to over 90% of continuous improvement efforts resulting in utter failure. Over the next several episodes, we're going to delve into specific reasons why these failures occur. I am going to tell you stories of how deployments go off the rails and and I'm going to tell you awesome stories of sustainable deployments and the sacrifices they had to endure to get there. Interspersed throughout these short monologues, I am going to bring in some charismatic guests who have experienced the dark side of CI and others who emerged with hard work into the light. In our next episode, we'll ask the tough question, Is your continuous improvement program just a fad diet for your business? Are you tired of seeing continuous improvement initiatives flame out like another failed New Year's Resolution diet? This episode dives into the harsh reality of superficial implementations that promise quick results but deliver no lasting change. I expose the quick fix mentality that dooms over 90% of continuous improvement efforts. Within 18 months, you'll learn why simply adopting methodologies like Lean and Six Sigma without building a solid foundation is like buying a treadmill that ends up as a clothes hanger. Discover if your program is just a temporary fad or if it has the potential for sustainable long term health for your business. Following that, we'll tackle the phenomenon of the paper belt in episode three. Certifications look great on a resume, but do they translate to real world impact? Episode three uncovers the issue of what I call the paper belt individuals with a new shiny title like Black Belt that they received after a short online course and a 20 question test that by the way, you can take over and over until you pass, but having no boots on the ground project experience, I'm baffled at how many paper belts are expected to save the world single handedly when returning to their companies after this type of training. I I can't tell you how many times I have encountered a black belt who gives me a befuddled look when I refer to a simple concept like process capability. This is not the belt's fault. It is uninformed leadership looking for the quick fix that puts their people into these situations. I'm going to expose this frustrating reality and show you why a paper belt is a continuous improvement effort waiting to crash and burn. Want to know if your organization is training paper belts and setting them up for failure? You don't want to miss this episode. Alright, let's zero in on episode four because this one still gets under my skin a bit. I'm going to share a story that perfectly encapsulates the kind of fundamental misunderstanding that doesn't just slow down progress, it slams it into a wall. It came from a coo, someone with a black belt title, yet clearly his background was heavily lean, biased with a critical blind spot when it came to Six Sigma. He looked me dead in the eye and asked why do we need capability when we have no go gauges? That was a WTF moment, plain and simple. Here is a leader holding a high level continuous improvement certification, equating the granular predictive power of process capability metrics which can tell you how well your process can meet specifications and actually predict defects with a simple go no go gauge which only tells you if a part is acceptable after it's already been produced. This wasn't just a lack of technical jargon, it was a complete disconnect on how Six Sigma provides crucial insight into process variation and potential for failure before it happens. This episode is a deep dive into why having practitioners or even leaders who only understand half of the lean Six Sigma equation is incredibly dangerous and a guaranteed path to missed opportunities and continued frustration. If you've ever wondered what a lack of fundamental understanding truly costs an organization, or how a title doesn't always equal capability, this episode is a must. Listen, we'll break down exactly why that COO's statement was so alarming and what it reveals about the shallow roots of many failed CI deployments, don't miss learning how to spot this critical gap and ensure your team has the full picture. Alright, let's talk about episode five and a scenario I've encountered far too many times The One Hit Wonders I see companies make a real investment. They train their employees in Lean Six Sigma, they focus them on a critical project to get certified and the team delivers results. A genuine win. But here's the kicker and the reason they become one hit wonders. Once that initial certification project is complete, those newly trained, newly capable individuals aren't asked to take on another project. The momentum dies. The skills atrophy. The fundamental concept of continuous improvement is completely missed. It's incredibly frustrating to witness because they've done the hard work of training, but they stop just short of unlocking the real ongoing benefits of a continuous improvement culture. They treat Lean Six Sigma like a one off training event, not the pathway to embedding problem solving into the company's DNA. If your organization has trained green or black belts whose skills aren't being consistently utilized, or if you've had successful projects that didn't spark a wave of further improvements, you are likely living the one hit wonder story. Don't let your investment gather dust. Find out how to keep the continuous in continuous improvement. So buckle up if you're tired of seeing your continuous improvement efforts stall. If you're frustrated by the lack of real lasting change, then you're in the right place. We're going to get real. We're going to be honest. We're going to provide you with the insights you need to avoid the common traps and build a culture of continuous improvement that actually delivers results. 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 the proven strategies to build a truly sustainable continuous improvement culture and I want to give you a copy for free. Just click the link right there in the show notes you will find another link that is your gateway to discovering more about how Six Sigma Development Solutions Inc. Can help you avoid the pitfalls we discussed. Want to go deeper? We offer public green belt and black belt training at 52 locations worldwide plus virtual options so you can train wherever you are. We can even bring customized on site training directly to your organization. Prefer to learn at your own pace. We've got robust online certification training too. 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 6566, get your free book and start building success today. So let me ask you an important question. Are you going to learn from these failures or will you repeat them? Remember, ignorance isn't bliss. It's expensive. I'm Kevin Clay reminding you that real change, change that is sustainable, isn't comfortable. It takes time and discipline and it takes sacrifice. But in the end, the transformation will be phenomenal. Thank you for listening to why they Fail. We're on a mission to uncover why they fail so you can succeed. If you're finding clarity and practical takeaways 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 aha experiences. Or just give us your questions in the comments on Spotify or Apple. See you next time.