Coaching for Successful Lean Six Sigma
Projects
Ahmad Sulaiman
Kimberly Clark Corporation
EMEA Lean Six Sigma Leader
Ahmad Sulaiman
Bachelor Degree - Chemical Engineering – Jordan
University Of Science & Technology 1997
Lean Transformation - Regional Change Agent –
Kimberly Clark Corporation – EMEA 2010-2013
Lean Six Sigma Leader– Kimberly Clark Corporation –
EMEA 2014- Today
Accreditation Certificates :
Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt
Mentoring, Coaching, Training
Kaizen Events Facilitation
Lean Management
Change Management
Project Management
Difference Between Training and Coaching
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b
5AWQ5aBjgE&feature=share
Presentation slides
Training video
Training ….
Presentation slides, Videos, Lecturing, Role Play, etc.
It is usually difficult
to master knowledge
and skills by this
means !
Coaching….
Coaching….
Coaching is a teaching, learning,
counseling relationship designed to develop
job-related knowledge and skills and
improve performance
It requires continuous flow of instructions,
comments, explanations, suggestions from
coach to employee, with the coach
demonstrating, listening, questioning,
relating learner’s experiences, assisting,
motivating, encouraging, and rewarding
performance
Learning retention rate based on delivery method and degree of
participation….
LSS project
execution
LSS training
exercises
LSS belt candidate
LSS Coach
LSS training LSS 1st project LSS 2nd project LSS 3rd project
The learning curve of LSS candidate versus Coach availability
Why coaching for LSS belt Candidates? (1/3)
- Effective coaching bridges the gap between classroom training and project application
- The DMAIC learning curve is daunting for most people. There are new words, concepts, tools,
and methodology. They do some activities in the define phase that are different than what they
do in every phase of DMAIC. The coach is challenged to help them move through this process
in a simple way “KEEP IT SIMPLE”
- Collaboration during project execution builds a foundation for future improvements since
participants learn new skills, gain confidence, build relationships, and better understand how the
organization works
Why coaching for LSS belt Candidates? (2/3)
- Learning a new professional skill is a slow thinking process … Slow thinking is
uncomfortable for some people .. The coach can make the slow thinking go
easier and the frustration of it go less
- The psychologists Keith & Richard proposed that there are two systems in the
mind; System 1 (Fast thinking) and System 2 (Slow thinking)
- Example 1: ( System1 …… 2+2 = ? ) (System2…… 23*49= ? )
- Example 2:
Which horizontal line is longer?
System1 answer: ASystem2 answer: A & B are identical
A
B
Effortless Effortful
Why coaching for LSS belt Candidates? (3/3)
- The LSS candidate realizes what he/she wants to know so he/she asks questions to the coach- Example:
- Candidate runs a DOE on JMP or Minitab software but couldn’t deal with the low value of
Determination Coefficient R-square% .. The candidate asks the coach for a help
- What the candidate needs to know is what he/she hasn’t realized that he/she doesn’t know - Example:
- Delay% of machine(1) is 10% , while Delay% of machine(2) is 12% . The candidate concluded that
machine(1) is performing better than machine(2). The coach noticed that the candidate took a
decision based on this conclusion (Machine 1 is better). The coach asked the candidate to run a
hypothesis testing to confirm the conclusion. The candidate ran a hypothesis testing and found that
there is no significant difference between Machine 1 & 2 performance . The candidate changed the
decision. The coach and project sponsor approved the decision !
What the candidate Wants to know versus Needs to know
What the LSS candidate needs to know is : Every piece of knowledge , information, and practice that the
candidate doesn’t know due to lack of LSS/DMAIC experience while the coach is grounded in body of
knowledge throughout the project execution
Proactive Coaching versus Reactive Coaching
Does it mean the LSS coach
is responsible for failure ?!!
Top 10 reasons why LSS projects fail !
Lack of management support
Incorrect strategy deployment
Incorrect project
Choosing inappropriate process (low risky, low impact)
Inappropriate team members
Lack of process owner support
Incorrect scope
Insufficient/ inadequate training
Incorrect measurement system
Incorrect implementation
The coach can
help LSS
projects NOT
to fail !
The Lean Six Sigma Coach
should ensure that none of the failure potential reason
would take place BEFORE the LSS training, DURING
the training, AFTER the training, BEFORE starting the
projects, and DURING the projects until the END !
Cognitive-Behavioral Model
Event
Thoughts
EmotionsBehavior
Results
Lean Six Sigma
LSS is OK/ Not OK?
Motivated/ Frustrated?Do/ Don’t do LSS
Success / Failure?
Unhelpful Thinking about Lean Six Sigma
- It is a new management fad and it will fade soon
- Lean Six Sigma is not for my type of work
- Lean Six Sigma is for managers and engineers not for me
-Lean Six Sigma is boring…
-Lean Six Sigma is difficult .. Full of statistics
-My mind is now cluttered with much of LSS learnings.. I don’t think I can make a good
LSS project..
-Every time the problem recurs I solve it. I don’t need LSS
- It needs high concentration/focus and it takes time .. I can’t
Unhelpful Thinking about Lean Six Sigma
How can the coach
turn the unhelpful
thoughts about LSS
to positive ones?
Coach’s Interventions Before Training (1/3)
A. Engage leadership team
Vision and Strategy deployment : Elaborate on Lean Six Sigma journey from strategic
viewpoint (Vision, short term and long term goals, strategy deployment, change story)
rather than the technical side of lean six sigma (tools)
What lean six sigma is: Emphasis that LSS is to solve problem of unknown root cause that
many countermeasures were implemented but failed to eliminate the problem so it’s worth
dedicating resources for LSS projects
What Lean Six Sigma is NOT: Many people do not like statistics ! Many people think LSS
is a statistical capability building ! Lean six sigma doesn’t make the candidates statisticians
but problem solver who master the analytical skills but not necessarily statistical ones
Lean Six sigma is not just a belting certification: LSS belt candidate learns project
management, change management, root cause elimination, problem recurrence prevention,
and sustaining the improvement. LSS belt candidates learn how to rely on facts rather than
gut feeling in problem solving. LSS Belt candidate gains professional skills in addition to
soft skills
B. Candidates selection
Growing : The coach sets a guideline for candidates selection; Self-motivated, willing to
learn, willing to change his/her way of thinking and doing things
Minimum requirements: The candidate needs to be capable of using Microsoft office (excel,
PowerPoint) to avoid the frustration the candidate and coach might go through when the
candidate’s skills are below expectations. Some coaches have the patience to help the
candidate in excel and PowerPoint ! Language should not be a barrier either ..
Communication skills and relationships: The candidate should have adequate/good enough
communication skills and leadership qualities and good relationships with the teams.. This
minimizes the efforts the coach needs to coach the candidate to gain such qualities . Besides,
it minimizes the resistance to LSS project execution
Patience: The candidate should be patient to take the time and efforts to complete a project
(Balance between slow thinking and fast thinking)
Coach’s Interventions Before Training (2/3)
C. Project selection
Scope: No big scope ..finish project quickly before the candidate and his team leader lose the
momentum
Defined problem: A project of a problem not just an improvement effort otherwise, no need for
LSS project
Not every problem needs LSS ! High inventory problem needs Just-In-Time, High changeover
time problem needs SMED, Product Design development project problems and capital
procurement projects problems need Project Management Professional skills not LSS . High
variability of inventory levels and Changeover time needs LSS !
Data: Projects with no reliable data or low data collection frequency are slow projects as they
need to re-establish data collection and need long time to confirm improvement
Coach’s Interventions Before Training (3/3)
The Coach’s Interventions During Training (1/3)
How can the coach help the LSS candidates not to have the
training lower their self-confidence ?
Before the training
Decides to quit LSS ??
During LSS project
Receives the LSS belt certificate
The Coach’s Interventions During Training (2/3)
Relevance : The training content should be relevant that speaks to the candidate's processes and
problems. Ready-made or One-For-All training material doesn’t work !
Exercises: Include simulation exercise in the training to demonstrate the learning
Project before training: Make sure that the candidate’s project selection was made and approved before
the training so some LSS tools can be applied during the training to the real problems the candidate’s
selected
Fun: Make the training fun !
Share the personal experience: Share your own success and failure with the audience.. Share the
obstacles/frustrations you experienced in your first LSS training/project and how you overcame them..
Break the ice !
Day end : Finish each training day with a hands-on exercise so they go home motivated to come the
next day.. Finishing the day with slides teaching is boring ! Finishing the day with having some
candidates present their projects can be a good option if the project problem is relevant to the other
participants. Otherwise it will be a boring day-end too !
The Coach’s Interventions During Training (3/3)
Support during exercise: Let the training participants feel supported during the hands-on exercises
they do by being around them guiding , supervising, and helping. The candidates do not like to
rework or feel incompetent!
Lead facilitator: Rotate exercise’s lead facilitators for every new exercise to ensure every candidate
is engaged
The coach is there : Remind the candidates every training day that every one will have a coach to
help during the project . The participants might feel overwhelmed sometimes with the new
learnings (you’re not alone ! )
Feedback: Ask at the end of last day training: Who would like to go for the next LSS belting level ?
This would work like an indirect feedback from the participants about the training effectiveness .
However, some candidates might have other reasons not to go for a higher belting level
The Coach’s Interventions After Training
Book the candidate’s calendar: The coach takes the initiative to book the candidate’s calendar for a
weekly coaching session/ bi-weekly is minimum.. Do not wait the candidate to take the initiative .. He
or she might be reluctant due to lack of confidence by the end of training !
Meet the Sponsor : The coach takes the initiative to book the calendar of the project sponsor, process
owner, and the candidate for a monthly meeting for updates. This will also keep the efforts aligned all
the way during the project with the management expectations
The Coach’s Interventions During the Coaching Session (1/4)
Coaching style: Ask the candidate about his preferred coaching style; telling, asking, delegating, etc.,
Break the ice ! Ask the candidate how the week went .. Tell about your week …
“You’re not alone” .. “it is daunting at times and needs patience.. But I will be always there to help”
Ask the candidate for a constructive feedback about your coaching style after each session. This will
help the coach improves
Do work during coaching session: Encourage the candidate to do some of the project work during the
coaching session if he didn’t progress before it .. He will appreciate that… especially that it will be an
opportunity that you guide him/her in every step if needed
Informal coaching: Be open to informal coaching moments ( corridor talks , phone calls, emails, etc.)
Refresh the learnings: Be ready to re-teach some of the training topics in brief.. The candidate can’t
remember everything ! Remember that not every candidate has the willingness or the time to re-read
the training slides !
Gym coach: Help the candidate with the first step(s) of each tool he/she uses and don’t leave him/her
until you make sure he/she can complete it correctly alone. Rework is costly ! It’s rare that a candidate
can proceed with the project efficiently without a help!
The Coach’s Interventions During the Coaching Session (2/4)
The first phase of DMAIC: The define phase of
DMAIC seems to be an easy phase if the project and
scope selection were made properly. However, some
candidates feel unsure how to approach it. Be there to
help !
Visit the shop floor with the candidate to better
understand the process. The coach as an external eye can
see what the candidate doesn’t. Understanding the
process steps helps the coach ask the right questions
about the potential causes and potential solutions
Nancy (Belt-to-be): Before
coming to this coaching session I
was almost lost about what I need
to do although the guiding
template and roadmap were
there.. I even was reluctant to
come to this coaching session
because I haven’t done any
progress… Thank you Ali (The
coach) for helping me !
The Coach’s Interventions During the Coaching Session (3/4)
The second phase of DMAIC: The Measure phase
of DMAIC is the most overwhelming and
daunting phase; much data to deal with, many
potential causes to brainstorm, screen, and
prioritize, setting the baseline , etc. Only when the
candidate reaches few potential causes he/she
feels at ease and the sense of achievement.
The candidate during Measure phase needs a lot
of help and “emotional” support. The candidate
might feel incompetent or low self-confidence..
Help him/her not to !
Help the candidates find quick wins. This adds to
their motivation and offsets their frustration
Those who finish the Measure phase will definitely
complete the project.. They will not quit LSS !
* Note that in some LSS schools data screening and prioritization takes place in the Analyze phase
Ali (the coach): I can imagine how
overwhelmed you feel now … but you’re not
alone.. I am now a LSS master black belt but
I remember how I doubted my competency
when I was doing my first LSS project .. Be
patient.. I will be available to help you in
every step..
Joseph (Belt-to-be): Thank you Ali.. Actually
I am who needs your patience.. LSS doesn’t
seem easy for me at times..
The Coach’s Interventions During the Coaching Session (4/4)
The second half of DMAIC: Once the candidate
reaches the only few potential root causes he/she
starts to strongly engage with the project with high
self-motivation… they even start to go more
proactive on the project execution with less
interventions from the coach
Make sure that the candidate is updating the
project report-out slides. This helps organize the
project progress logically and make the
information flow smooth which makes the
candidate less overwhelmed. Seeing the work
orderly organized creates a sense of achievement !
Ramsay (Belt-to-be) to the coach: I
see how you were pulling me to do
the Measure Phase stuff and I am
really thankful.. It was
overwhelming at times and I wasn’t
sure I can complete the project ..
Can I start booking your calendar
twice a week ? I am full of energy
to complete the project !
Abdullah(belt-to-be) : I
can’t believe I did all this
good work
The Coach’s Interventions During the meeting with the sponsor
Regularly meeting the project sponsor keeps the project on track . If the sponsor doesn’t show
interest in attending the meeting, then the sponsor might be not engaged in the project and the
project might be at risk of failure:
Insist on meeting the sponsor ‘informally”
Ask the sponsor if he/she doesn’t see the project as a priority. If yes, work with him on
selecting a new project immediately
The sponsor might not feel comfortable to give a feedback.. Ask him/her if he thinks that the
time consumed on project is high compared to the project progress. If yes, change your
coaching style
Focus on finding quick wins that do not need deep analysis
If the baseline is not accurate and needs further data collection and analysis, do not wait
… move on to the next step where possible ( if applicable) . Sometimes it is just clear that
there is a money leak although the supporting data is not solid yet
Candidate’s response against coach’s skills
DMAIC Coach of only strong hard skills (LSS techniques) Coach of strong hard and soft skills (supportive coach)
During
training
Bored, overwhelmed, might not complete the training Engaged, excited, participative, asking, leading exercises,
gives feedback, etc.
Define
Phase
Rarely attends the coaching session, keeps postponing
the meeting, cancel meeting, tells about project
progress but not showing evidences, low self-
confidence with lack of support
Committed to attend the coaching session, apologizes
sincerely if not able to attend, asks for postpone not cancel
the meeting, will tell when he/she will be available to
continue , asking questions, showing evidence of project
progress, good level of self-confidence and feels supported
Measure
Phase
Very slowly moving, disengaged, finds excuses not to
attend the meeting, pretends he/she is progressing but
not showing evidence, one step forward one step
backward, low to zero commitment, disappearing
Overwhelmed but patient, asking clarifying questions,
organized, follow the coach guidance, medium commitment,
2 steps forward one step backward,
Analyze
Phase
Fully committed and excited (analyzing only few
potential root causes)
Improve
Phase
Take the initiative to book the coach’s calendar and to
work on his own
Control
Phase
Sense of achievement, excited to go for black Belt
level, willing to coach others
A word to the LSS belt candidate !
Give it ago ! It might work for your own good .. Your career growth, your credibility, personal
development .. Lean Six Sigma is not only for your firm’s success, it is for your own success, too !
Be honest and tell the coach about your challenges at doing LSS so he will put extra energy at
supporting you on your project
Give the coach a constructive feedback about his/her coaching style .. This helps the coach
improve as well as the coach helps you improve
Overcome your fear of failure ..so you can see the beauty of the world !
Stop thinking that you do not need help .. We all need it !
Stop thinking that you know the root cause of the problem and solution. It is not uncommon that
LSS candidate discovers new facts about the process he/she tries to fix during coaching sessions
A word to the LSS coach !
Build a good relationship with the candidate
Help others genuinely .. We all like those who show sincere interest in helping us and we like to
take them friends.. We become more open to tell how we feel against a challenge we face
Be patient
Take the coaching process as a way to expand your own knowledge and experience
Give positive feedback to the candidate after each coaching session .. It motivates.. Encourage
him/her to complete the project… The project is tough at times.. Your words help!
Ask the candidate to give you a constructive feedback .. Do not defend yourself.. Think of
feedback as a gift that helps you continuously improve
Be modest. Accept that the candidate might at times have a better way to do thinks than you do
Tell the candidate how it was when you attended the first LSS training and first project .. It wasn’t
easy .. Was it ?!
Good Luck On
Your Lean Six
Sigma Journey !
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