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There once was a well-established hospital in a suburban community. Try, try, and try they did to reduce costs and improve quality. With each effort, they failed and the frustration grew. Executives, after exhausting all options, finally implemented a Six Sigma program. Leaders were excited for their community hospital, eagerly anticipating the potential windfall of funds and improved quality of care. With Six Sigma rolled out and swept across the organization, would the winds of change blow hard enough to turn the tide?

Many Six Sigma professionals have heard this narrative before, and many could predict how the fictional tale spun above would turn out. Those predictions would accurately depict real world experience. The stories would be recounted about how the fictional organization magically turned things around and lived happily ever after. Others would tell the tale of the hospital that continued to struggle and stumble, even with an effective Six Sigma program in place.

So the question is: do you want a program in place or do you want quality? Leaders struggle with this question because they really don’t understand what want.

The fact is, expectations within an organization must be laser focused on one result. That result must be quality. To reach that goal, leaders must understand that just simply having Six Sigma implemented does not guarantee reaching their quality goals. A change across the organization must occur for a real transformation to occur. These changes can happen in a most strategic and effective manner, if the organization is open and willing to change, without hesitation.

When seeking change in your organization, don’t look to Six Sigma as the end-all solution to your issues. Implement Six Sigma when leaders are open to changing the culture and pulse of an organization. When there is willingness in the air, Six Sigma can be the most effective and efficient change agent for your organization.

Consult with us at 6Sigma.us and determine your readiness to implement a program. We are the ideal partner to achieve your quality goals and improve your organization. Reach out to us at 6Sigma.us to schedule the next steps to success.