Lean Six Sigma For Leaders

11Turning Strategy into Action

CAN LEAN SIX Sigma thinking help turn strategy into action?

We certainly believe it can but this is another less well known approach, coming from the world of Lean thinking. This chapter has been written to answer this question and we have invited Dr Vince Grant who co‐authored Lean Six Sigma Transformation for Dummies (which contains the technical detail behind this approach) to provide his extensive expertise and experience.

The Challenge of Strategy

If you don't drive your business, then you'll be driven out of business

B C Forbes, 1945

Forbes clearly had in mind that businesses need to follow a clear sense of direction, one that is envisaged in their overall strategy, and that leaders need to drive and steer it on that journey. But it's a journey that can only be travelled if everyone in the organisation understands and actively follows the plot. The challenge is arguably less the development of an organisation's strategy but rather its deployment. Surveys suggest (see Figure 11.1) that whilst 71% of executives overall say that they understand their organisation's strategy, only 40% of middle management also do, and this reduces to just 3% for front‐line associates – those who are actually dealing with the customer or producing the goods and services on an everyday basis. Contrast this with outstanding performing organisations where in one European Quality Award winning organisation, over 80% of staff at all levels could meaningfully answer ...