Six Sigma, Regression Equations and Polyester Leisure Suits

Good Morning!

I was thinking back to the days of Polyester Leisure Suits, Six Sigma, regression equations and Lean!

Icons of the 20th century...

All once good...but now passe!

The funny thing is that many people refuse to let go of them...despite what the rest of the world is doing...

This is the 21st century! 

Would you seriously walk into a club dressed in a polyester leisure suit?

Would you attempt to walk into a company with Six Sigma or Lean?

They looked good then...but now?

Times have changed...

Tastes have changed (Thank God!)

Challenges have changed...

Organizational demands have changed...

In the 70's and 80's...I seriously think that people wanted to look that way...and dressed in leisure suits!  (even though I still can't imagine why) 

Management wanted answers to "Why things were happening" and "What they could do"...and Six Sigma rose to the occasion...along with regression equations...

Then company vision switched inward on profitability, truly avoiding the customer perspective...and Lean rose...even though many refused to fully reject Six Sigma (so they created an oxymoron called Lean Six Sigma!) 

Why Leisure Suits,

Why Six Sigma?

Why Lean?

People wanted to look good...(and they still do)...

The world at large thought leisure suits made a person look good...or maybe they saw someone who did look good in a leisure suit and they tried to emulate them...

The sad thing was...the wearing of leisure suits worked!

It gave the men who dressed like that...a better chance to achieve their goal...women!

Six Sigma and Lean are no different...

A few people donned the Six Sigma suit and it worked...

Others stood jealously on the sidelines and watched...they quietly began using the vernacular of the real Six Sigma experts and hoped that their emulation would get them the awe and recognition that the others were basking in...

AND it spread...

Online courses...for Six Sigma certification...not much different than those mail order courses that "guarantee" to take you from a 98 pound weakling...to Mr Universe!

Get real!  There are few Mr. Universes...and the same holds true for Six Sigma...

I can count on my hand the number of effective practitioners of Six Sigma...and I need a calculator to even approach the count of those who stand around and claim this practice...

The glimmer of hope that I am given is that just like leisure suits...Six Sigma and Lean has fallen from favor...and devout practitioners will stick out like a "Lounge Lizard" does in a club...

Like Leisure Suits...Six Sigma and Lean should be relegated to short skits on Saturday Night live...

It did what it needed to do...but as we look back on it...it was corny!

It's "wash and wear" and "wrinkle-free" appearance was simply marketing!

It required work to be what made it work...and the adopters were not willing to work like that!

Some may say that my New Brass Ring (DMADD) is no different...and in 15 years they may be right...

Yet it is working...and effective in addressing organizational issues using the tools of the 21st century...

The new club wear is DMADD!

Come on in...we need people in leisure suits...if only for the humor!
   
*******************************************

Although regression equations are an integral part of Six Sigma...they are not the invention or property of it...

Regression equations are the formulas for existence!

As I thought this week about leadership...I realized that there is an equation (a recipe) for effective leadership!

In a regression equation...there are 3 important parts...the "Y" variable...or output...the explained or understood factors "X" that contribute to the "Y" and the unexplained factor(s).

Depending upon the teaching method...the equation is Y = (mX) + b  (Does that look familiar?)

Leadership (Y) is a combination of known factors and unknown factors that drive effectiveness...

Some of those factors (explained or unexplained) have positive influences and others negative influences...

on a higher level...

Leadership on a whole (as a science)...has an equation...

except this time...the "X's" are people...

so you as a leader are part of the overall leadership equation...

the question that you have to ask yourself is...

"Am I a positive influence on Leadership...a negative influence (do I give it a bad name) or simply an unexplained variable?"

Do you give leadership a good name or a bad name?

Why?

Are you a competent leader...or something that should be controlled or eliminated?

Should you be part of the leadership equation at all?

Is your influence on the slope of the line positive or negative...

Or...a do you have no influence at all?  (Should you be rejected from the equation?)

Or...are you confounding (Another topic...someday!)

What I am getting at is that your role within the equation has to do with self-honesty...and recognition on your role within the larger equation...

People delude themselves...(these are the ostriches who stick their heads in the sand and refuse to see the dangers)

They see the negative slope of the line and blame that on others rather than take the responsibility for it!

They refuse to change!

These are the people (wearing leisure suits) who vigorously polish the bell of the Titanic (after the interaction with the iceberg) and refuse to see they are on a sinking ship!

They live life as if nothing is wrong...and think that everything is cool!

The 20th century is a memory...much of it makes us cringe in shame...

Get out of those leisure suits...

Stop polishing those bells!

Commit to playing a role that pushes the line of influence in a positive direction...

Enough Said!

Pura Vida!!!!!!