Being able to clearly communicate to the team WIIFM – the “What’s In It For Me” of this proposed Process Improvement.

Much resistance and skepticism vanishes when the leader is clearly able to understand and communicate the benefits of completing the LEAN Six Sigma Process to the people involved in the day-to-day activities of the Value Stream.

I recommend you complete this vital bit of communication as early in the course of the project as possible.

that’s two more cents,

Dike
Dike Drummond
http://www.superteams.com

I have a couple more:

1) Support and Positive Feedback;

Here is a great Deming quote:
“All anyone asks for is a chance to work with pride.”

This is a “soft skill” that is vital to any change/innovation/process improvement. Being able to tell your team members something as simple as “Good Job” once in a while.

Give them a pat on the back. Catch them doing something right and make this a weekly or even daily habit.

2) Another key soft skill is the ability to TEACH.

It is one thing to come in as the Expert/Guru and tell people what to do. It is completely different when you are an effective teacher and your team takes on the knowledge and skill set you provide.

This is especially important in the interface between the highly technical analysis of LEAN Six Sigma and the day to day reality of an assembly line.

This ability is the difference between giving them a fish and providing a one time quality improvement …. and teaching them how to fish which puts them on the path to continuous process improvement [even after you are long gone].

More tomorrow,

Dike

Dike Drummond MD CPC
http://www.superteams.com

Now here is a topic that warms my heart. I totally agree that “Soft skills are at least as important, if not more so” as you state in your post.

Here are a few more I would add to the list:

Asking Open Ended Questions – the foundation for any empowering leader.

Understanding how to Deal Effectively with Dysfunctional Behavior on the part of Team Members. There are three stages to this:
- Prevention
- Early Detection
- Clean Resolution

Energy & Attitude
Understanding the role of the leader’s energy and attitude on the energy and attitude of the whole team. They will model you … so be careful about “who you are being”.

Listening
Really listening, not sitting there thinking about what you will say next or what technique you can use in this situation.

Empathy
A genuine appreciation for the challenges and frustrations of your team members. Once you empathize effectively, your team can enter the process improvement “process” cleanly. Until the feelings are on the table you will meet with resistance.

Effective Communication
Using a matrix of in-person, voice and electronic communication to keep everyone informed and up to speed both up and down the “chain of command”.

Coaching
Helping your people diagnose the source of the problem and find their own answers. This involves effective use of empathy and open ended questions – and, when done well, ensures you don’t have to be the one with all the answers.

That’s just a start and I will keep posting until my well runs dry.

My two cents,

Dike
Dike Drummond
http://www.superteams.com