MBA Journal Six Sigma Education Resources

Six Sigma Belt System Under Scrutiny

Six sigma offers a management program that allows all individuals in a company or corporation to be involved in creating success. In order to do this everyone in a company takes on their own role in the six sigma process and while many understand the need to have different levels working together in different aspects of the company toward a common goal many feel that the belt system actually discriminates against some giving them a lower ranking within the Six Sigma structure than others.

In essence this is both true and false. Of course, there are levels within 6 sigma just as there are levels within any company. There are those who are in management and those that are the worker bees. There are many that fall on different rungs in between as well. There is inevitably in every corporation a hierarchy per say that does make some employees weigh in more heavily than others and this is just a fact of life.

All that Six Sigma does in reference to the already existing levels is gives each one a specific role to fulfill within the Six Sigma belt system. Those in upper management are Six Sigma Master Black Belts, then there are Black Belts, Green Belts, and Yellow Belts. Each level most definitely has its own role within the company however these roles are not created by the six sigma methodology but are instead just delineated and defined within it.

It is essential for everyone in a functioning Six Sigma company to know and understand their role in goal setting and implementation as well as in making the quality improvements that need to be made. Ultimately, everyone does play a role and it is for this reason that Six sigma trains individuals to fulfill their own specific role in the process and provides everyone with support and coaching at their own level.

Six Sigma doesn't discriminate against employees but helps each one to find their own niche within the company. Six Sigma works to bring together a team and not divide and conquer and most who are working within this business methodology find that they system works very well and encourages employees on all levels to excel and improve.