Retaining a Beginner’s Mind: Lessons from Six Sigma

Over the course of my career, I’ve come to appreciate the concept of the Shoshin, or “the beginner’s mind”. The term originates from Zen Buddhism and refers to having an attitude of openness when studying, even at an advanced level, maintaining the same level of eagerness that a beginner would have. Having a “beginner’s mind” is especially important as you grow older, because paradoxically, the more we learn, the more likely we are to close our minds to new information. Our own level of experience can convince us that we have nothing left to learn on a subject, which not only limits our personal development but can hold back entire industries or fields of knowledge.?

With that in mind, I’ve made it a point to keep on learning, remaining open to new ideas. After all, just because I have a lot of business experience doesn’t mean I can’t continue to improve. Most recently, I’ve started taking courses covering Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma, and it’s been very enlightening. Here are a few of the basic principles behind Six Sigma, along with my thoughts on why they are so valuable.?

What is Six Sigma??

Six Sigma is a set of methodologies and tools used to improve business processes by reducing defects and errors, minimizing variation, and increasing quality and efficiency. Using a combination of statistical, financial analytical, and project management processes, the Six Sigma approach serves to identify and eliminate causes of variation and improve the functional and qualitative aspects of a business. The goal of Six Sigma is to come as close to perfection as possible, with only 3.4 defects per million opportunities. The two main Six Sigma methodologies are DMAIC and DMADV, each of which has its own set of recommended implementation procedures.

What is Lean Six Sigma??

Lean Six Sigma combines the Lean and Six Sigma methodologies to create a comprehensive approach to process improvement. Whereas Six Sigma is centered around reducing variation and defects through data-driven decision-making, Lean focuses on minimizing waste and maximizing efficiency by identifying and eliminating non-value-adding activities. So while Six Sigma aims to achieve efficiency through the reduction of errors, Lean does the same through the reduction of waste. By combining the two, Lean Six Sigma offers a comprehensive approach to process improvement.

The Key Principles of Six Sigma

The goal of any Six Sigma project is to identify and eliminate any defects that cause variations in quality by defining a sequence of steps around a certain target. The most common target values are:?

• Smaller is Better: Sets an “upper specification limit”, such as having a target of zero for defects.
• Larger is Better: Sets a “lower specification limit”, such as test scores, where the target is 100%.
• Nominal is Better: Establishes a middle ground, such as a customer service representative spending enough on the phone to solve a problem, but not so long that productivity is lost.?

Additionally, there are five key principles that are considered the most effective ways to execute a project, serving as the foundations for the Six Sigma methodology:?

• Focus on the customer
• Map out the value stream
• Remove waste to create a flow
• Communication with your team
• Create a culture of change and flexibility

The Six Sigma Methodologies?

Although Six Sigma uses various methods to discover deviations and solve problems, the standard methodology used by Six Sigma practitioners is called DMAIC. The process consists of five phases: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.?

• DEFINE the business problem from a customer-centric perspective, setting goals for what you want to achieve and mapping out the process.?
• MEASURE your problem in numbers or with supporting data. Set a yardstick for performance, then evaluate your measurement system and how it can help you achieve your goal.
• ANALYZE your process to determine if it is efficient and effective. Does the process help you achieve what you need? Quantify your goals in numbers, then identify variations using historical data.
• IMPROVE the process by investigating how the changes in “X” impact “Y”. Discover the relationships between variables, and establish process tolerance, or the precise values that certain variables can have while still falling within acceptable boundaries.
• CONTROL the improved process and future process performance by validating the measurement system being used and establishing process capability. Once this step is completed, the process can be implemented.?

Why is Six Sigma Valuable?

In many ways, Six Sigma is important for the same reason that maintaining a “beginner’s mind” is important: it helps you realize that there’s always room to learn and improve. The worst thing you can do as a business leader is get into an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality, because it doesn’t allow for the careful consideration you need to achieve your goals and help your organization grow. One reason legacy companies struggle over time is that they will establish practices that made sense at one point but are no longer the best way to do things. Yet leaders will be stuck in the mindset that “this is how we’ve always done it” and refuse to question if those practices need to be changed.?

By embracing both Six Sigma and the concept of the “beginner’s mind”, leaders can better challenge conventional thinking about why processes are carried out, remain open to new possibilities, and identify solutions to help their organization achieve greater success. By identifying the specific inefficiencies hiding within existing processes, they can increase margins, bolster productivity, and improve profitability over time. Most importantly, they enable themselves to learn and improve, no matter what point in their career they are.