How relevant is Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification today in terms of career advancement today? Saving Changes...
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Matthew SmothersProject Manager| LeidosCharlottesville, Va, United States
That depends on which organization you obtain your certification from, and how much power project managers have in your organization.
Lean and Six Sigma are both excellent methodologies that provide excellent results when used properly. The problem, in regards to certification, is that no one organization owns/controls the Lean or Six Sigma certifications - unlike the Project Management Professional certification. PMI owns the PMP. PMI controls the body of knowledge tested in the exam, the requirements to be eligible for the certification, and the exam. You can go find some website, pay a few dollars, take a 20 question exam (or even an exam with only one question), and call yourself a Six Sigma Black Belt because the owner of that website sent you a Black Belt certificate they created in Microsoft Word.
If you want to obtain a Lean Six Sigma certification, first find an organization that issues its own certification, and is respected. In my case, I chose the American Society for Quality. Next, in my opinion, eliminate any organization that does not require you to submit documentation on a Lean/Six Sigma project you led before it will let you sit for the Black Belt exam.
PMI makes you submit documentation to show you have 4,500 hours leading projects before allowing you to sit for the PMP exam. Why? Because the PMP certification demonstrates that you are proficient in project management. You cannot be proficient in project management if you've never managed a project. The Six Sigma Black Belt is supposed to mean you are an expert at applying Lean/Six Sigma principles. How can you be an expert if you've never done it? Book learning only takes you so far - as we all known, the real world is different. In my opinion, any organization that will let anybody take the exam for Black Belt without documenting experience is issuing a certification that isn't worth the paper it's printed on.
As for career advancement potential, that depends on your organization. Some will care. Some will not. However, if you can show a pattern of learning and earning certifications - i.e., a dedication to improving your knowledge and skills - then the Six Sigma can fit into and reinforce that pattern, which can make you a more desirable candidate for a job/promotion. Saving Changes...
Check with your learning and development team if they have any six sigma training for employees. In our organization a basic six sigma training is mandatory for all, and depending on employee interest, business/process need - green belt/black belt certifications are provided. Saving Changes...
