LearnSixSigm
In this Article
In this article you will learn…
- How to choose a certification course.
- Which certification authorities you should look out for.
- What practical project certification is.
- The differences between Green Belt and Black Belt.
- Which of Green Belt or Black Belt is best for you.
How Do You Choose the Right Certification Course?
This is probably the question that gets asked most frequently. The answer is just the same for levels of Lean Six Sigma, be it Black Belt or Green Belt, with some minor differences in the levels or competencies.
Firstly there are two kinds of certification to choose from: The one you get by sitting a multiple choice exam and ticking boxes, and the one you get by delivering a practical project with measurable business benefit.
Recruiters in industry only consider the second of those to have any practical value.
Training vs. Practical Experience
The course you choose should provide you with a certificate with the nature, level and date of the course that you attended.
Only going on to practice the tools and teamworking you learned by delivering your first project will gain you any practical experience.
That practical experience as well as your portfolio of additional projects delivered since your training is the real measure of your capability and experience as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or Green Belt.
In reality it’s the only thing that will carry weight when it comes to recruitment decisions.
When you select a course for your own Black Belt or Green Belt training ask the question what kind of certificate does it provide?
Does it come with one that recognizes your delivery? Is it from a certification authority that claims to own the rights to award qualifications in Lean Six Sigma?
Which Certification Authority Should You Rely On?
There are at least four to choose from, the IASSC, ASQ, CSSC and ISO. Their websites all suggest that each of them is the one and only, the best, the most recognized, etc. All of them will require you to sit an exam, usually multiple choice.
I have considerable experience of such exams. The best I can say about them is that they require that you know a lot of facts. This means that the course needs to focus on coaching you to pass the exam. It is implicit in paying for the course that you will pass the exam, even if you need to re-take it several times.
In my experience such exam coaching is a waste of time and effort, but much worse they divert the course away from the practical application and culture of teamworking and co-operation that is so important in Lean and Six Sigma.
Better that you are able to work together in small practice groups to develop your teamworking skills and learn together to apply the tools of Lean and Six Sigma which you then go on to use in a real business project in your own place of work.
Opting for a Practical Certification
Delivering a suitable practical project has a few key success factors. Firstly it needs to be relevant to and valued by your business. Secondly it needs to have a Process Owner, someone in your business who feels the pain of the poor quality, delivery or cost and will authorise and support you and your team in tackling it.
If it is your first project it needs to have a coach or Master Black Belt to keep you on the right track and help you demonstrate your knowledge of the tools and your ability to deliver the goal. A first project should ideally be within your technical or business comfort zone.
Your project should be something you can deliver in three months or less, longer projects risk becoming stalled. It should not be something the boss already knows the answer to and tells you how to achieve! Work with your Master Black Belt to review those points and the suitability of any projects you have in mind before you commit.
The Importance of Project Support
Ideally work with an in-house Master Black Belt to select and coach you on your first project. If that isn’t available there are a few training providers who will provide coaching and sign off as an additional service.
This is the model I have always used as part of the central services team of Black Belts and Master Black Belts in my former role at a global life sciences operation.
If your business doesn’t have that, there is no need to accept second best and resort to certification by box ticking, find a training provider than can support your practical delivery.
What's the Difference Between Green Belt or Black Belt?
There are a few diverse opinions on this topic which I don’t agree with. For example, "only Black Belts lead projects", "Green Belts only do process improvements while Black Belts do process innovation", "Black Belts analyse the stats while Green Belts don’t need to".
It's about Leadership
I believe there should be no limits for Green Belts, no reason why they should not lead a project, design a new process or analyse the stats.
Having said that Black Belt projects may be larger in scale, may involve larger team across several functions, may require the Black Belt to work outside their department, discipline or comfort zone.
Black Belts may also be involved in coaching others. I was told during my training that a typical Black Belt project should deliver a saving of at least $100,000 while a Green Belt Project should deliver $20,000.
That was a long time ago and it was a US company. We have moved on since, the targets now should be:
- a significant business benefit measurable in terms of a quality improvement
- a speed of delivery improvement
- or a cost reduction
What makes it significant depends very much on the size of the business and the product or service.
An Example from Industry
For my previous employer Green Belt and Black Belt became a rite of passage.
Anyone at any level would usually be granted Green Belt training. Only after delivering at least two Green Belt projects would Black Belt training be offered.
Then Black Belt project delivery would be set and reviewed in your annual appraisal. It should be considered as a change in your working approach, not just a one hit and done.
Best for Me: Green Belt or Black Belt?
How do you select Green Belt or Black Belt if it is within your decision? Do you aspire to lead major projects in your organisation? Do you aspire to lead and coach others and to inspire them to tackle difficult problems? Do you want to learn and practice with new tools and analytical techniques? Do you want to work outside your usual discipline and comfort zone?
If you answered "yes" to the above questions, your answer is clear. Black Belt is for you, commit to the challenge and test yourself.
If you are not yet sure that you wish to commit to that level then perhaps Green Belt is the right first choice. Try it on for size, get comfortable and when you have a project or two behind you take the next step and upgrade to Black Belt.
