Important Six Sigma Professional Terms

There are many terms for business owners and managers to keep in mind when they have their employees Six Sigma trained.  There are different levels in which employees are able to be trained and their titles should be well recognized within the organization.  

The different Six Sigma terms vary, and depending on what level an individual is trained and certified will determine how much they contribute and what their duties are as far as projects go within a company or organization.  An individual’s training level should be explained to other employees within the company so that it is apparent to everyone who is in charge of a team and what roles everyone needs to fulfill within the team.

Several of the Six Sigma terms include champion, master black belt, black belt, green belt, yellow belt and change agent.  Each individual is responsible for a different role within the company or organization.  It is important that each person understands their role and what decisions they are responsible for making.  When an individual is trained in Six Sigma they usually have managerial responsibilities and should understand how to truly manage and lead other individuals.  The different levels of training and certification are organized into a hierarchy that should be understood by the other employees of a company.  The person at the top will always work closely with the person below them and will always report back to the owner or manager to let them know how the projects are coming along, as there are always checks and balances built into this methodology along the way.

Each person within each role will have a certain duty to complete.  A Six Sigma champion is usually a person who is ultimately in charge of a project.  This person makes sure that everything is in place for the project as far as managerial and budgetary concerns and sees it through until the end of its completion.  The master black belt will select and train the other ‘belts’ within a company and continue to be their mentor.  Their expertise is usually in technology and are able to help in all areas of the strategy when it comes to a project.  Black belts are normally team leaders for projects throughout the organization.  They go through intense training and must become certified properly in order to be successful in this position.  Individuals are able to receive Six Sigma training online and in the classroom; the method of training chosen depends on what the owner of the business decides is best for their particular company.

A green belt will become trained to work on various projects, but at the same time continue different aspects of their current position.  Along with the Yellow Belts, they are in charge of most of the data collection and actual ‘work’ within the team.  The black belts within the organization are their mentors and may work closely with them on different projects; i.e. they will lead the team in analyzing the data that has been collected.  A change agent within the company is responsible for leading change and educating others on what is going to take place.  Black Belts usually also perform the role of change agent.  Six Sigma Professional terms are important for all employees to understand and respect.