Every individual has a personal goal that he wants to work towards. If the company’s goals are not aligned with that of the individual, it can create a variety of negative impacts such as lack of motivation, lack of work satisfaction, and lack of team coordination. It also causes a rift between the various individuals working on the projects when their goals are misaligned with each other. Therefore Six Sigma provides a carefully crafted outline called DMAIC which helps individuals achieve their personal goals while also contributing effectively to the project at hand.
DMAIC stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control. Let us look at what each of these phases means and how it contributes to Personal goals.
Define:The individual needs to define the goal clearly and be specific. The more specific the goal, the better are the chances of it being successful. Guage how important the goal is to you and how your life will change on achieving this goal. You need to also define why this goal is very important to you as this is the motivating factor for you to move towards the goal. It gives you a better perspective and makes the goal attractive to work towards on a continuous basis.
Measure:In this stage, you have to study your present state. Collect data surrounding your current position. Since the goal has not been achieved presently, analyze how it is affecting you. Convert this status into measurable metrics or numbers and keep tabs of this. Again, the key to efficiently executing this phase is to be specific.
Analyze:You may be following a number of processes to work towards the goal. Break these down into individual routines. Analyze if they are adding value to you and your personal goal. Figure out what are the obstacles or errors that inhibit you from doing these processes better. At this point, Six Sigma suggests conducting a Root Cause Analyses using the “5 Whys” method to determine the various obstacles and its root causes. With knowledge of these root causes, you can correct them to execute the processes better. Another methodology suggested is the Fishbone Diagram. This method helps you to explore the causes of your past failures and ensure they don’t occur again.
Improve:Once we know the reason for the past failures as well as the areas where the potential error may occur, these may be avoided. Create potential solutions to these issues and improve on them to make your approach failure-proof. Keep checking and validating your status to ensure that improvement is consistent.
Control:A lot of effort is put in to implement the new routine, but the actual success depends on sustaining the implemented routine. Here, Six Sigma suggests the use of the “Control Chart” that identifies standards and requirements that will ensure that the goal is achieved. Thus the final result is not just complete but also is of satisfactory quality. In case, you stray off the routine, it helps you identify this on time and take corrective measures to get back on track.