| Are you looking forward to be becoming a Six Sigma | | | | rapport with stakeholders in the organization. |
| Black Belt soon? You'll need to do a few things to | | | | Don't - Be Afraid to Take Risks |
| prepare. Consider these dos and don'ts before | | | | You have to know understand that you role will |
| starting your continuous improvement journey. | | | | enable you to be a catalyst for change. You must be |
| Do - Find a Mentor | | | | bold about trying new things and spark a new trend |
| A mentor can serve as an excellent resource for job | | | | of innovation. You have to be a creative |
| placement opportunities. The best person to ask to | | | | problem-solver and you must not be stumble, if you |
| be your mentor would be an in-house Master Black | | | | hear the occasional, "We've never done this before." |
| Belt (MBB). If you do not have a MBB working at | | | | Keep your focus on the future state of the process. |
| your location I would recommend networking on | | | | Do not forget you will be driving opportunities to |
| LinkedIn, or if you are a Twitter user you can use | | | | reduce defects. That is a challenge you should |
| the directory and do a keyword search for 'six sigma' | | | | welcome. |
| to find possible mentors. Harness the power of social | | | | Do - Make a Study Plan |
| media to build your support network. You will find | | | | You will need to pick a place to study, preferably |
| that a more experienced mentor can provide insight | | | | away from where you sleep. Let your friends and |
| on organizational structure and the best path for | | | | family know that you are preparing for your training |
| promotion in the future. You can also tap into their | | | | exam. This will give you the quiet time you need. |
| Rolodex, if you may need a Subject Matter Expert | | | | Another thing you can do to minimize distractions is |
| for a project. | | | | to change your email message to "Away" status for |
| Don't - Wait for Your Boss To Bring Up the Topic | | | | the day. Change the note on the auto responder to |
| If you wait, the topic may never come up. Be | | | | indicate what time you plan to check your email. You |
| proactive. Prepare a detailed outline of how your | | | | don't need to check your computer all day long and |
| training will not only improve your job performance, | | | | respond to everything right now. Once in the morning |
| but provide a handsome return on investment (ROI) | | | | and once in the afternoon should be fine. For |
| of an estimated $100,000 savings per project. Don't | | | | example, you can check your email at 11am and then |
| be afraid to give a timeline of your plans to show | | | | you will not be tempted to read email during lunch. |
| that you are serious. Communicate what method to | | | | You can review your course material and eat lunch at |
| training you want to pursue. Remember, online | | | | the same time. |
| certification will reduce your time away from the | | | | Don't - Forget to Talk to Human Resources (HR) |
| office, which may make your pitch more appealing. | | | | You will no doubt need to fill out some forms from |
| Do - Volunteer To Lead the Next Six Sigma Project | | | | HR to process your tuition reimbursement. Obtain the |
| Process improvement projects can be schedule one | | | | form early and review the requirements. Sometimes, |
| or two quarters ahead of time. Make sure that you | | | | if an organization pays for your training you will need |
| have voiced your interest in being the team leader, if | | | | to commit to one to two more years of |
| you have not already done so in the past. This will | | | | employment. They may also require a certain number |
| help you work on your soft skills that are needed to | | | | of Continuing Education Credits. Get requirements in |
| manage cross-functional teams and help you build a | | | | writing. |