In my webinar today we talked about how the DMAIC tools are beneficial in the strategic planning process.  Most of the measure phase tools and simple hypothesis testing can be used.

A bigger issue is not the tools, but getting a chance to apply them.  I expect that most black belts have never had access to a strategic planning effort, so that they are not even sure how it works in their organization.  My suggestions on this topic follow the same advice I have provided to others in the workforce who want to get ahead.  The advice is to volunteer and get involved.  No one gets promoted to a new position without a belief that he/she can perform in that postition.

If you want to work with the strategic planning, you must get involved.  Start with your manager and ask about how the process works.  Ask who leads the effort.  Ask how they decide on what strategy to use.

Use the open door policy to walk these questions up the seniority chain.  Find out from the individual who is leading a strategy implementation effort how he got the job and to whom and how does he report his progress.  Use the 5-whys method to find out all you can about the process.

After asking questions, the next step is to get involved.  If you know a strategy manager, ask him/her to help out.  Track the metrics using the LSS methods.  Provide inputs on the stability and stability.  If there is no metric available, then work to create one and provide it to the manager.

If you are working improvement projects, seek out which organizational strategy would be best supported by your project success.    Contact the lead on that strategy and convince him to tie your project to his strategy.  If you find a project that does not align to a strategy, propose to stop working it.

Work to make the leadership look good.  Do not assume that the leaders like the current strategic planning process, just because they use it.  If you can show a better method, with respect, you might be quickly included into the effort.

Lastly, do not tell the leadership that they are wrong, stupid, dumb, ….  This is not part of making them look good.  You effort should be considered as an opportunity to make the strategies more successful.  Nothing more.

If you would like to watch the recorded version of this webinar, which is part one of an eight-part series, you may register on our website.

Good luck!