Managing Complex Change is NOT Easy
Almost every successful Lean Six Sigma Project culminates with some amount of change. Depending on the project it could be minor or major changes to a variety of things such as processes, suppliers, customers, employees, material goods and so on. More than 30 years after the Lippitt-Knoster Change Model was first developed by Mary Lippitt later updated by Timothy Knoster, this simple formula rings true for guiding modern-day projects. According to the Lippitt-Knoster Model there are six elements required for effective change: vision, consensus, skills, incentives, resources, and an action plan. If any one of these elements are missing, the change effort will fail, usually with negative outcomes. Applying this model when implementing Lean Six Sigma solutions will help to produce the desired change. If you have all six, you will likely end up with change. And, if you leave one of the components out, you will likely end up with something different.If you want your teams to be successful with implementing solutions that stick, then understanding the elements behind successful change is important. These 6 elements can serve as a helpful guide when developing Lean Six Sigma solution implementation plans or diagnosing when change is not happening as expected.