“Why should I become a Certified Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt?”

Riverwood AssociatesPart 2 of a 3 Part Series

This guest post was written by IT-oLogy partner, Riverwood Associates. 

In Part 1, you took a diagnostic test to assess your understanding of Lean Six Sigma. Your next question might be, “Why should I become a Certified Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt?

The Yellow Belt is the first step for those individuals new to Lean Six Sigma. The focus is on the fundamental principles and key tools to start driving results. The training is designed for adult learners: real-world examples, discovery-driven, highly interactive, with individual and team exercises (including readouts) to reinforce key concepts.

Here are the Top 5 reasons to becoming a Certified Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt:

Reason # 5: Learn practical skills to advance your career. Problem solving in business has never been more important. Organizations are seeking individuals who are critical thinkers, independent thinkers, and able to make disciplined, data-based decisions. By 2018, there will be 1.2 million US job openings in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, with a significant shortage of qualified applicants to fill them. Lean Six Sigma helps individuals improve their skills in problem solving, analytical thinking, and decision-making. The best part is that these skills are 100% portable and will remain with you forever. The key is to practice them.

Reason # 4: Have an immediate impact in your job. Employees who are able to apply Lean Six Sigma in their jobs can have a significant, immediate impact. Start with a small “pain point”, an obvious problem in your day-to-day routine. Maybe the problem is too much paper or too many forms that is causing waste and delays. Apply the principles and appropriate tools to drive results. Get some small wins under your belt. Tell your story to your peers and managers. Build your skills and confidence. Do not underestimate the power of one person to drive change.

Reason #3: Become a more valuable member of your organization. Building on Reason # 4, as your peers and upper management begin to see your results, you will start to become recognized. People love to hear success stories. It is empowering. Business loves to see results. Before you know it, your boss will start asking you to take on larger, more critical projects or problems. This helps you build a track record of performance in order to become promoted.

Reason # 4: Maximize your earnings potential. Businesses recognize individuals with Lean Six Sigma certification credentials. It is an industry standard. And as you continue taking on more challenging assignments and roles, you will be rewarded with higher earnings. Senior Managers and Executives are smart and pragmatic. They know that in the long run it is better to keep a high performer than risk losing them. Suffice it to say that monetary rewards will ensue.

Reason # 1: You owe it to yourself. Of all the reasons, this may be the most important. Learning is a life-long journey. Think of certification as an investment in yourself and your career. The Return on Investment will more than pay for itself.

In Part 3 of this series, we’ll describe our Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt program and what to expect.

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