Anyone who has worked in a corporate environment knows about office politics from firsthand experience. Whenever you bring a group of people together and there are disparate levels of authority, clashes emerge. Sometimes, they're due to employees trying to curry favor with those who are in a position to help them climb the organizational ranks. Other times, simple personality conflicts can be the driving force.

For Six Sigma teams, office politics can be devastating. They can literally impede the implementation and success of a project. Below, we'll focus upon how Six Sigma teams can navigate the waters of political strife which exist in the organization. We'll explore how to reduce employee resistance, get past existing policies, and resolve conflict within the project team itself.

Eliminating Employee Resistance

People within an organizational structure will predictably gravitate toward that which they're accustomed. They will invariably be used to following certain procedures and protocols that have been an important part of their daily responsibilities. They won't give them up easily.

The Six Sigma methodology represents change. To employees who treasure convention and tradition, such change is often threatening. It can imply that they may be expected to learn new skills, perform different tasks, and absorb a new set of responsibilities. To some, it may even suggest a loss of authority or influence.

The project team can soothe these fears by persuading the staff that the change they bring is beneficial. They should convince them that while organizational procedures and protocols may indeed be modified, there are many reasons to welcome the modifications. When people better understand what the Six Sigma project offers, they will be more inclined to cooperate.

Communicating The Reason

Many organizations adopt the Six Sigma methodology only after other systems have failed to take root or provide bottom-line results. While the CEO and executive leadership may understand the difference, employees may not. The problem is that people throughout the organization may think the methodology is another process improvement fad that will eventually fail. That perception will influence their willingness to support the initiative.

The project team, led by the Champion and Master Black Belt, should openly communicate the benefits of Six Sigma with all departments. They should explain why it is being implemented and why it is expected to succeed where others failed. By doing so, the team will remove apprehension and garner support, which makes a successful implementation far more likely.

Bypassing Office Policies

Another potential political hurdle is represented by existing office policies. It is one thing to convince a person to adopt a new process to be used when fulfilling a responsibility exclusive of their particular role. However, it is another thing entirely to convince an entire department or an organization to abandon a documented policy.

In this case, the road must be paved by the executive leadership. Not only must the senior management support the Six Sigma initiative, but they must communicate that support throughout the organization. This is the only effective way to encourage the abandonment of long-established office policies.

Conflict Within The Group

What should be done when a conflict exists between two or more members of the project team? Such conflict can limit the initiative's success as surely as external office politics. This can manifest in many ways. For example, members might have strong feelings regarding the direction of the assignment and feel dissenting views are unfair or confrontational.

Black Belts and Master Black Belts play an integral role in managing the personalities of various members. They must encourage everyone to express their ideas and offer creative solutions. As much as Six Sigma is a discipline that is built upon statistical analysis, it is first a methodology that relies upon people. With deft navigation, the project team can focus on their tasks, garner support throughout the organization, and deliver results.