Objective #3 Process Improvement Education

Even though the plan technically has 5 objectives - the reality is that objectives 4 and 5 (while still very important and relevant) really just exist to serve and support objectives 1-3. That makes this objective the last real developmental focus for the short term.

I have long enjoyed the symbolism of the three legged stool - and it's by total accident that this plan has also been built on 3 legs. I think one of the big benefits of writing about it here is that it forces me to create and understand the narrative of this plan - rather than just working through the mechanics of it.

Through my writing here - I've come to the conclusion that the main 3 objectives really can be reduced down to: 

• Objective #1 (Pursuing the PMP) is about gaining the credibility and credentials to be in a position to make changes.

• Objective #2 (Strengthening BA skills) is about improving my ability to articulate complex ideas and engage with diverse groups of stakeholders.
  
  
• Objective #3 (Process Improvement Education) is about developing the skills and knowledge to actually be able to introduce strength and resilience into complex systems and organizations.

It's pretty simple - if I want to help organizations learn how to avoid fires I need to understand what processes and practices already exist that support those ends. 

That means learning:

• What process improvement methodologies actually work (and why)
• How to consistently diagnose root causes, not just the symptoms
• How to introduce changes that work, not just novel ideas that are quickly abandoned
• How to measure outcomes and build positive feedback loops. 

I want to study the major process improvement methodologies of the past few decades - for physical AND digital work:

Lean, Six Sigma, TQM, Kaizen, BPR, BPM, DevOps, Scientific Management, and maybe others that I don't know about yet but might discover as I learn.

It could take years to become a master at any one of these methods - let alone all of them. So I'm choosing to focus the majority of my attention on a single process school (Lean Six Sigma) and will allocate a smaller percentage of my time towards consuming primers on the others so I can maintain a more well rounded understanding of the process management landscape.

I've chosen LSS as my focus because it is what is currently being implemented in my workplace.

If I obtain an entry level LSS belt (Green) before the end of Q1 2026, I can immediately put myself in a position to become a leader in helping the program adapt to this new model of operations and gain critical real world experience. The program has consistently struggled with periods of massive/unsustainable amounts of work - and the changes being implemented are intended to start 'flattening the curve.'

In parallel I'm planning on running an engagement with a local organization with which I'm connected - they have had ongoing difficulties with membership and finances for more than a decade and I'm hopeful that I'll be able to help them implement sustainable improvements. Initial assessments will start the second week of January.

After Q1 I will continue to seek practical opportunities - at work and within my network/community. My intent would be to increase my LSS credential to the black belt level before year end 2026, but as I continue to study and learn about the other methodologies I may discover that another path makes more sense. So we'll put that in the TBD column.

I do feel like I need to address some of the same tension I discussed in my Objective #2 post regarding credential vs capability.

You're probably reading this saying "Two weeks ago this guy said he didn't want to just collect credentials, and now here he is listing off another credential - what gives?"

There's two reasons why the LSS Green belt gives me less anxiety than the BA credentials - 

1.  LSS belts require practical application - they're not just a study guide and an exam. I will have to actually demonstrate I can improve processes, not just talk about how someone else recommends doing it.
   
   
2. The Green belt is a "light" credential. It's enough to signal that I know a thing or two about process improvement - but it's a small enough commitment to obtain that I don't have to invest an enormous amount of time/energy just to add another line to my email signature. It's a foot in the door.

I may just be irrationally weighing this credential by a different standard than the BA credentials - but for whatever reason this one doesn't give me the same hesitation.

I also want to be clear: LSS is my focus; but I refuse to believe that there is any single methodolgy is the answer. Every system is different. Every organization is unique. I want to have a full tool chest, not just a hammer that sends me searching for nails.

I don't expect to master every process management method (that would take decades) - but looking to Baker Mayfield as my guide - I want to be feeling pretty dangerous. 

 

 

So that's the third leg. 

Put it all together and I will have the knowledge to do things better, the ability to communicate it with others, and the credibility to get people to listen.

This is how I stop fighting fires. This is how I stop fires from ever starting. 

Knowledge. 
Communication. 
Credibility. 

Sounds like a pretty solid foundation to me.  

 

For anyone who's pursued process improvement credentials: Is LSS the right starting point, or is there something better I've overlooked.

What's the shortest road between theory and practice?  

Let me know.

 

CHG