Six Sigma Black Belts are sometimes known as change agents. Anyone who is a Black Belt tends to be in a leadership position within a firm. They are also full-time Six Sigma project team leaders who implement process improvement projects within the organization or business.
There are certain Six Sigma methodologies that are used and Black Belts will be adept at these. These methods and the tools used help to improve and increase customer satisfaction. The changes made increase productivity within the business. Six Sigma Black Belts have undergone a course and trained to achieve a certain level, so let’s take a look at qualities Six Sigma Black Belt candidates should have. These qualities are not stated in any specific order of importance as they are all equally important.
1. Passion
Black Belts need to be incredibly motivated and must also use their initiative. Standards are high, so it helps to be confident and extroverted. Having a positive attitude and personality definitely helps. Apart from being self-motivated themselves, they must be great at motivating others as well and act like a cheerleader and know which members of a team need a little picking up so as to move forward together in a productive manner. Sometimes, a project can be difficult, but a Six Sigma Black Belt must summon up the strength to keep moving onward and upward.
2. Effective Communication
Black Belts have to be excellent and effective communicators because they play many roles. They must be able to communicate well with everyone, which means they must be good at communicating with someone on the floor to those who sit right at the top, such as the executives and even the owner. An effective communicator will be able to tailor the way they put their messages across by understanding the needs and concerns of anyone, regardless of their standing within the company. If a Black Belt can achieve this, then making and presenting simple or complex Power Point slide presentations will never be a problem.
3. A Leader & A Team Player
A great Black Belt must be fantastic at working in teams and being the leader but must also blend in seamlessly as “one of the guys” as well. This means they have to be a likeable person, but this is down to the Black Belt. A Black Belt needs to get along really well with all team members, be able to motivate those that need that extra little push and be good at influencing everyone.
4. Result Oriented But Fun
Black Belts need to work really hard and must have drive, because they need to get the desired results for the organization. This means they are under a lot of pressure to always perform and must be made of strong stuff themselves. They must also love and enjoy their jobs and be passionate about it. Despite the seriousness of the position and the results that are expected of them, they also need to show that they are fun and this should rub off the others.
Six Sigma Black Belts must have business acumen and have some technical aptitude, especially with some computer software and analytics. They must also be good at managing all kinds of projects. Having a degree certainly does help, but going through a course and training is also good enough.
