Six Sigma Project Teams

types of teams

  • project team (aka ad hoc or task forces)
  • Six Sigma
  • cross functional
  • self-directed/autonomous
  • virtual
  • quality

cross-functional and self-directed are mutually exclusive as are project and Six Sigma

forms of participative management

  • increasing employee responsibility
  • self-managed teams
  • quality circles
  • quality of work-life committees
  • soliciting feedback from customer and employees

quality circle

  • created by Karou Ishikawa in the 1960's
  • decentralized problem solving
  • predecessor of quality teams

Six Sigma Teams

  • work on specific process or project area
  • emphasis on data analysis

project teams

  • special projects, especially with material focus
  • temporary

self-directed

  • leaders give guidance rather than directions
  • reduces layers of management
  • members may rotate jobs

cross-functional

  • promote acceptance of change across organization
  • useful when cross-domain skills are needed

virtual teams

  • geographically dispersed
  • usually either project or ad hoc

basic purposes of teams

  • produce items or services
  • share learning
  • coordinate resources
  • solve problems
  • plan or develop strategy
  • innovate

axis along which teams are classified

  • function
  • structure
  • skill