Employee Engagement is Crucial for Lean Six Sigma Success

In order for Lean Six Sigma to be successful, there has to be engagement at every level of the production process.  This is especially true for employees, since employee engagement is the key to achieving a maximum return on investment in the Lean Six Sigma program.

Employees trained in Lean Six Sigma techniques can be an enormous asset to a company.  Since employees are intimately familiar with production techniques and processes, they are a valuable resource for identifying inefficient or unnecessary steps in production.  However, simply training employees in Lean Six Sigma techniques is not enough to fully implement the program.  Employee engagement is crucial for the success of Lean Six Sigma.

One of the main benefits that Lean Six Sigma provides for employees is an increased sense of their impact on company profits.  Make sure to provide feedback on the positive impacts that employees make when they use Lean Six Sigma techniques, and consider implementing an incentive program to inspire employees to stay engaged in the process.  If employees are rewarded for producing quantifiable improvements in the production chain, they are more likely to stay invested in the program.

Additionally, while implementing the Lean Six Sigma program into the company culture, take steps to ensure that employees have opportunities to express their thoughts and suggestions.  Employees have a unique perspective on production processes, and are in a position to offer valuable advice or strategies for eliminating waste.  Send out surveys, meet with employees, or set up a social media page on which employees can share their thoughts, suggestions, and successes.  Giving employees a voice and incorporating them into the implementation of your company’s Lean Six Sigma practices is an excellent way to build employee engagement.