Page 102 - Six Sigma Demystified

Chapter 4 DEF INE STAGE 83

move forward so that the merits of the proposal can be proven through sound
data- driven analysis. Alternatives to consensus such as majority voting, arbitrary
flipping of a coin, or exchanging of votes for reciprocal votes (bartering) under-
mine the team’s results and must be avoided.
The easiest way to achieve consensus is through the proper use and analysis
of data. This so- called data- driven decision making removes the subjectivity of
decisions. Opinions are replaced by supported facts. Of course, gathering and
analyzing data take time, so management must give teams enough time to be
thorough. Fortunately, every decision does not require extensive fact finding,
and proper use of DMAIC tools will provide guidance.
Three tools that are useful for building consensus (and which are further
discussed in Part 3) are
• The affinity diagram provides a means to generate a collection of ideas
about a proposal and then to summarize the ideas in terms of categories.
• The nominal group technique is simply a means of reducing a large collec-
tion of ideas into a workable number of key ideas.
• The prioritization matrix allows a team to prioritize its options according
to weighted criteria.

Each of these tools helps to obtain consensus by systematically reducing a large
number of disparate ideas into a smaller group of items that can be managed or
analyzed.

team Development

There are four common stages of team development: forming, storming, norm-
ing, and performing.
In the forming stage, team members are polite to one another. Procedures and
ground rules are emphasized and respected. The team hasn’t really gotten into
the heart of problem solving, so there is little friction.
In the storming stage, the team begins to work on the problems at hand, using
brainstorming, data collection, and analysis. At this point, conflicts begin to
develop between opposing views. Team members establish roles within the
team. This role playing undermines the authority of the team leader and cir-
cumvents the team’s progress. It is important for the team leader to enforce the
ground rules effectively during this stage. Failure to enforce the ground rules
can prevent the team from moving forward to the norming stage, and it can
result in project failure.