[Ailist] Ailist] Re: Six Sigma

[Kevin Kervick]

> Hello Lionel:
>
> I am new to the Appreciative Inquiry listserv, having discovered it after 
> attending a class lecture on AI.  One of the things I appreciated about 
> the approach was the presenter's flexibility and the apparent freedom of 
> AI as compared with other proprietary approaches that preach model 
> fidelity as a way of selling more books, consulting, and supervision and 
> inculcating more members to the cult.  That seems refreshing.
>
> I agree with you about our growing tendency to join and to eschew others 
> not like us.  Our need to belong certainly trumps all other needs.  I have 
> to believe it is a result of the growing anxiety in the world.  It is 
> quite scary.  And in the United States it is happening on the left as well 
> as the right.
>
> Kevin
>
>
> This supports my concern that the six sigma cult has distorted ideas of 
> 6-sigma in the same way as the scientific management cult distored ideas 
> of Fredrick Taylor.
>
> The core ideas of Fredrick Taylor - that compose industrial engineering, 
> which forms in part the foundation of both lean and six sigma - are quite 
> congruent with AI.  If you read Fredrick Taylor's original book (Taylor, 
> F.W. 1967 (reprint of 1920s original), Principles of Scientific 
> Management. WM Norton & Co Ltd, New York) that spawned scientific 
> management, you will realise that he was quite a appreciative sort of 
> fellow.  However, the scientific management movement ended up being 
> branded stop watch time thugs by human resource profession.  However, the 
> human resource profession is largely ignorant of the operations management 
> profession.  So, this is to be expected.
>
> If you read Michael Naisbitt's Global Paradox (he also wrote Megatrends), 
> you will begin to understand the way that the modern world is becoming 
> increasingly compartmentalised and that people join a group and become 
> very warey of all other groups.  This is especially true of six-sigma and 
> perhaps also true of AI.
>
> So yes, a six sigma master black belt will see AI as uncompatable with six 
> sigma in the same way as any other fundamentalist will find it difficult 
> to leave the confines of their particular dogma for another perspective. 
> In response to your original question,  I would introduce AI to six-sigma 
> cult followers very carefully and without enthusiasm for the movement 
> behind AI.
>
> If you are upset about having AI (or six sigma) being referred to as a 
> cult then that is an indication that it is in fact a cult.  However, if 
> you see wisdom in the analogy then perhaps it is not.
>
> Lionel Boxer CD PhD MBA BTech(IndEng) - 0411267256
> Supervisor/Lecturer - lionel.boxer at rmit.edu.au
> Graduate School of Business
> What's up?: http://intergon.net/events.html
> The Sustainable Way: http://intergon.net/tsw
>
>>>> David Shaked <mail at david-shaked.com> 27/10/07 4:09 AM >>>
> Joan,
>
> I have been in the area of Six Sigma and Lean for the past 6 years (I am a 
> master black belt if that tells you anything). I am now in transition to 
> AI and have delivered a few AI activities with my company (a large 
> multinational corporation).
>
> My observation is that AI is very different than both lean and six sigma 
> in particular. In six sigma you are specifically looking for what is NOT 
> working in a given process or what is defective and trying to solve it. 
> Lean has a similar thought process, but instead of looking for defects, 
> you are looking for where waste is generated and then try to eliminate it. 
> As you can appreciate this isn't quite AI...
>
> Kaizen (='make better' in Japanese) is one of the lean tools/approaches. 
> The original process of Kaizen is simply doing a quick process analysis 
> and fixing the 'non-lean' parts of it within 2-5 days of concentrated 
> effort. Kaizens can potentially be adapted to an AI approach and I am 
> currently in the process if doing it and would be happy to brainstorm with 
> others who may be interested in the topic.
>
> My suggestions about your case are to focus on the success of the program 
> rather than the program itself. You can ask questions about previous 
> successful experiences with corporate initiatives or business improvement 
> activities and perhaps gain insights on how to best introduce Six Sigma 
> into your organization. Another idea would be to ask questions around 
> previous successful initiatives by the leadership of the company.
>
> If you'd like to talk more about this, e-mail me at: 
> mail at david-shaked.com.
>
> Good luck!
> David.
>
>
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