My Experience as a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Student
Author: Jordan Kempler
As the Event Coordinator for TMAC’s Lean Six Sigma program, I would often pass by our classroom and hear our instructors speaking about what sounded to me to be math problems that would stump Albert Einstein! On top of that, the walls always seemed to be covered with charts and formulas that I believed nobody could possibly understand!
With this in mind, when I was offered the opportunity to participate as a student in our LSS program, I decided that I would start with our Green Belt course. With a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, I had little education in process improvement and statistics. I was a little nervous before the class began because I really had no clue if I would be able to grasp, let alone use LSS theories and tools.
Once I started the class, however, I was pleasantly surprised by how simple and clear our instructors made all of the concepts. The first few days were slightly overwhelming with our instructors presenting a smorgasbord of new information. Eventually, despite my original expectations, the material began to stick and my confidence levels to be able to actually use LSS tools began to rise.
I especially enjoyed the group exercises and student “teachbacks” during the class. The group simulations that I particularly enjoyed were the process mapping, sigma station, project charter and catapult exercises. The teachback, when students present different topics back to the instructor at the end of the week, was also very helpful! These exercises were incredibly valuable to me as I believe they force students to go beyond simply listening to a PowerPoint presentation.
By the end of the course, not only was I extremely confident in my abilities to implement LSS, but I had also made some new friends. Furthermore, I also gained a new respect for LSS strategies and tools, as well as our instructors’ teaching abilities. I am now always on the lookout for LSS improvement opportunities while at the job, and am looking forward to further pursuing my LSS education!
