Lean Six Sigma For Leaders

15The Employee's Perspective

LEAN SIX SIGMA brings with it some jargon and, FYI, plenty of acronyms. One to get to grips with when considering the view of the employee is BOHICA. It stands for ‘bend over here it comes again’ and was a phrase used by US armed forces in the Vietnam War, when an unfavourable situation was about to be repeated and compliance was deemed the most judicious course of action. It is among a number of potential reactions when an organisation starts to use Lean Six Sigma!

The voice of the employee is one of several voices that should be heeded by leaders. In fact, the same voices might also represent the voice of the customer if you consider that the people in the organisation are customers of the Lean Six Sigma approach. The importance of involving people in continuous improvement and equipping them to do so has already been looked at from several perspectives – this chapter addresses how employees might react to Lean Six Sigma. It takes a broad view and does not attempt to analyse and explain human behaviour – there are plenty of other books on that subject. There is no panacea, but some approaches that could be considered by leaders to support effective responses are also outlined.

It is important to note that responding in a way that is not 100% positive to the news that the organisation is about to begin a new programme, initiative or way of working does not mean that the individual is a negative person. We are complex creatures. Indeed, when Jack ...