7 things that a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma should know about

The Black Belt is one of the highest degrees of expertise that a professional can have within the LSS management philosophy. It's a great responsibility, as we'll see later. So let's show you things that a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma should know.

According to a survey conducted by ISixSigma, projects carried out by the Black Belt can save up to 200,000 dollars a year in a company. This demonstrates the impact that a good performance of these professionals can have.

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Now, let's tell you the 7 things a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma should know:

7 things that a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma should know

Lean Manufacturing is a management philosophy with a focus on eliminating waste. This generates greater product quality, in addition to reducing production time and cost. On the other hand, six Sigma or Six Sigma are practices adopted to improve processes through the elimination of defects.

When we use these two in an integrated way, we have Lean Six Sigma. Black Belt's concept arises from this methodology. The term is borrowed from martial arts, in which the Black Belt is the master who trains other practitioners.

Similarly, the Black Belt LSS are professionals who have studied and demonstrated their skills in implementing Lean Six Sigma principles, practices, and techniques, reducing defects and waste and maximizing profits.

In practice, a Black Belt will be responsible for strategically guiding the improvement process throughout an organization. He will actively participate in improvement projects, and train and mentor the Green Belts and Yellow Belts.

For having so many attributions and responsibilities, let's highlight the main things that a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma should know:

1. Every Black Belt must be organized

The entire Black Belt is expected to bring concrete results to the company, both financially and operationally. To achieve this, you need to be able to skillfully manage the various projects that occur in parallel.

Therefore, be organized is crucial, since a Black Belt accumulates responsibilities such as measuring, analyzing, improving and controlling the key processes that influence consumer satisfaction and productivity. That's one of the first things a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma should know.

They can also act as internal consultants for several teams at the same time or as Green Belts instructors and Black Belt candidates. Anyway: with so many tasks, many things can stop working if the professional doesn't know how to be organized.

 2. Every Black Belt must have assertive communication

Black Belts should be great communicators, both in speech and writing. This is fundamental to play the various roles we have already mentioned. They must be able to communicate understandably with everyone: from employees on the factory floor to the executive board.

Not only that, but this professional must also be able to understand everyone's needs, and be able to translate this between the different points of the organizational hierarchy. Therefore, it is very important to make use of assertive communication.

 3. Every Black Belt must be a leader

Black Belts should be able to lead, work as a team, be part of the team and understand its dynamics. To play this role satisfactorily, they always need to be cordial, easy to deal with, have a good capacity for influence and motivation.

The Black Belt is a person who is respected by others and who must always reciprocate that respect, regardless of the hierarchical level. He should never look with disdain at someone who is learning. Every Black Belt was once a White Belt.

Therefore, he must act as a mentor and an example, showing dedication both to his learning and that of others, transmitting knowledge with patience, empathy and respect. This is one of the main things that a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma should know.

4. Every Black Belt should know the LSS tools

The Black Belts and all LSS-trained professionals should know tools such as DMAIC, Kaizen, Jidoka, Kanban, etc. They help solve various problems and improve processes, following the principle of continuous improvement.

Therefore, both to solve the teams’ demands and teach other co-workers, a Black Belt should master these tools and know when to use them.

5. Every Black Belt should know about finance and investments

The Black Belts are leaders of a business. Therefore, they must know the main financial and investment concepts. Thus, it is possible to relate the projects to the expected results, selecting those that will make the company grow competitively and financially.

Such a professional needs to know the economic context of the moment and try to calculate the cost-benefit of each project presented. This involves prioritizing opportunities and choosing the projects that will have the most impact with the least possible effort.

6. Every Black Belt should have a systemic view

A Black Belt is much more effective when it occupies a position in which it can visualize the whole, being able to apply the concepts of continuous improvement.

This system vision involves both the internal and external aspects of the company.

Within the company, the overall vision is very important to define which projects will impact more areas and are more aligned with the company's overall objective.

Externally, the market context is one of the things that a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma should know, identifying the way a niche works, weaknesses and strengths, opportunities, etc.

7. Every Black Belt should know about the limitations of the methodology

One of the main things that a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma should know is that the methodology is not absolute. We can never forget its main component: humans. What's more, the way we deal with different problems.

And Lean Six Sigma's standardizing approach, applied to all areas, can be very limiting, especially in sectors that depend on creativity.

Employees who need creative freedom may need to make much more effort to adapt their processes to the LSS methodology.

In addition, Lean Six Sigma depends on the total dedication of the teams, which may make it impossible to apply other equally beneficial tools or methods.

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Our Black Belt training in Lean Six Sigma is the next step towards your growth and recognition!

With our Black Belt certification, you will learn how to manage projects, increase results, lead teams, and the main Lean Six Sigma tools for solving highly complex corporate problems in search of strategic competitiveness.

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