This time your host is on the other side of the radio! I recently released my first book entitled, Lean Six Sigma for Government. Joe Dager, the host of the Business901 Podcast asked me to be on his show and discuss the “why’s and “whats” of the project.

Lean Six Sigma for Government is not a lesson, nor is it a case study. It is not a “How-to” manual or a proclamation telling a leader “What-to–do”. It is simply an enabler, providing a leader the opportunity to lead.

To purchase a copy of the book go to www.leansixsigmaforgovernment.com.

(Wilson Consulting and Training Services: Cedar Rapids, IA) — At the Southwest Iowa Manufacturers Alliance for Quality (SWIMAQ) quarterly meeting, Steven C. Wilson of Wilson Consulting and Training Services Inc (WCTS Inc) will be discussing how partnering with the Iowa Western Community College (IWCC) on customized programs for quality and Six Sigma can provide dramatic results for your business. The program will be held on Tuesday, May 24, 2011, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at the IWCC Council Bluffs Campus.

Wilson will address specific issues on why many people shy away from quality or continuous improvement programs and as a result are unable to see the direct benefits of them. He will also outline and introduce the latest adult-learning training methods and explain how the training is adapted to the organization.

“Too often, training programs are not utilized when employees get back to work,” says Wilson. “Based on my 20 years of assisting organizations and individuals improve quality through training, I have identified several components that will encourage employees and their organizations to change and use these new skills. Under the title of iQuality Academy, I have moved our training programs from tactical learning and acquiring new skills to providing the path from training to improved business performance.”

The Southwest Iowa Manufacturers Alliance for Quality program will also include presentations on:
• Nondestructive evaluation update, a hands-on demo
• Iowa’s National Career Readiness Certificate
• Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS) update
• Technology commercialization
• Plant tour at SIRE Ethanol LLC

Steven C. Wilson founded WCTS Inc as a process-improvement consulting firm. Wilson has more than 20 years of experience applying quality improvement tools, methodologies, and principles in a variety of industries that include automotive, health care, logistics, distribution, education, and manufacturing.

The IWCC offers instruction in career, adult, and continuing education as well as the first two years of college and university study. The IWCC serves the needs of adults who can benefit from further education and guidance, whether by specially designed occupational programs, preprofessional college-transfer programs, or adult education.

Doug Wick, president and founder of Positioning Systems, LLC (www.positioningsystems.com) was interviewed on Quality Conversations and, although the conversation was brief, he was able to articulate the important role that Priorities, Meeting Rhythms, and Metrics play in developing a discipline for growth within your organization.

As healthcare organizations move to adopt electronic medical records, the principles of Lean will serve them well. Information and information systems are a vital component of Lean healthcare. Poor data quality and fragmented information systems not only delay patient care, but in some cases impact patient safety. Listen to my interview with Mike Orzen, co-founder of Steady Improvement (www.steadyimprovement.com)  faculty member at the Lean Enterprise Institute (www.lean.org) , and co-author of the book Lean IT “Enabling and Sustaining Your Lean Transformation”, where we discussed Lean IT and it’s application to healthcare.

Interview with Mike Orzen – Lean IT and Healthcare Improvement

According to Dr. Mikel J. Harry, Co-Creator of Six Sigma and currently the COB of The Great Discovery, LLC, Six Sigma will be called upon over the next decade to deliver many types of value-centric solutions for a wide array of humanitarium, environmental and business problems. Furthermore, the traditional ways and means of using Six Sigma are not capable of delivering the necessary substantial improvements.

Listen to my interview with Mikel as he introduces the The Great Discovery, a proven way of thinking that will empower you to better innovate and execute higher quality solutions in less time with superior results – in your work, personal and home life.

The 4th Generation of Six Sigma – The Great Discovery

My friend, Steve Miller president of Skills & Insights spent a day with me and my Lean Six Sigma Green Belt class talking about the importance of understanding the people side of change when it comes to continuous improvement. He reminds us that leaders often take a “vanilla” approach when dealing with people during the change process, disregarding the variation in behavioral styles. This is a critical error.

Many organizations promote their support of, and adherance to, Deming’s 14 Points of Management, PDSA, and Profound Knowledge. The question of the day, is why do so many shy away from his discussion on the 7 Deadly Diseases. Join me for a very frank discussion with my guest Mike Carnell, president and founder of CS International, a full-service Six Sigma and Lean Enterprise provider known in the industry for their ability to implement high-impact improvement initiatives that deliver benchmark results.

During his appearance on my radio program Quality Conversations, friend and long time Six Sigma practitioner and consultant Mike Carnell, spoke of the need to create and sustain a Design Team throughout the Six Sigma deployment initiative.  As he described it, the Design Team, or what I have sometimes heard called the Business Guidance Team, creates the plan for the deployment, takes it from being an individuals plan to that of the organization, and ensures that the business remains truly on course.

Much like the GPS that we used on our way to Virginia in March for the National Home School High School  Boys Basketball Tournament, (we finished third and this link shows the consolation game) the Design Team helps maintains the best course to take to the organizations desired destination.  During the 970 mile and 14 hour trip from Iowa to Virginia, we occasionally veered off the predetermined path but once the issue was resolved (3 adult males and 4 teenaged boys…you can figure it out) we’d strap ourselves back into the vehicle, hit the ignition, check the GPS, and be redirected back to the correct path.

Certain organizational and economical issues may cause us to get off course during our continuous improvement deployment efforts but by checking back with the Design Team we can right ourselves and get back on the road to our desired destination…breakthrough results. I’d like to hear from you. Do you have such a team and if so, what’s its role? How does it operate?

Join me and my guest Bill Carey, Director of Six Sigma for Erie County, as we discuss the challenges, the journey, and the success of Erie County’s Six Sigma deployment efforts.  Here are a few of the topics we discussed:

• Introduction to Erie County and how Chris Collins introduced Lean Six Sigma into a government setting
• Cultural Change at Erie County
• Lean Six Sigma deployment, project selection, belt selection, training, reporting, challenges and next steps
• Detailed examples of successful projects
  

  Steven with Chris Collins, Erie County Executive