The DMAIC model is a roadmap for Six Sigma

 The DMAIC model is a roadmap for Six Sigma, used to improve the quality of results that company processes produce. The letters DMAIC are short for: Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control. It focuses on improving an existing process by incorporating the following phases:

Define

Define the problem, output to be improved, and process associated with the problem. Personally, I reckon that this is the most important step. Why? Because if you wrongly define the true issue in the first place, all the follow-up steps will be ineffective

Measure

Collect data from the process to establish a baseline for the improvements. Moreover, you have to collect the necessary and correct data.

Analyze

Analyze the data to find the root causes of defects.

Improve Develop, test, and implement solutions to improve the process. Just like conducting the SWOT Analyze, you have to clearly understand where are you and where do you want to go.

Control

Implement process controls to sustain the improvements. After you decide to go somewhere, you have to keep your effort on it and monitoring the route to avoid lost.

How does It Relate To The Six Sigma Project Theory?

"Six Sigma is a business methodology that aims to improve processes, reduce waste and errors, and increase customer satisfaction throughout an organization. Driven by data and statistical analysis, Six Sigma provides a way to minimize mistakes and maximize value in any business process, from manufacturing to management."(Lucid Content Team, 2019) The term Six Sigma refers to a set of quality-control tools that businesses can use to eliminate defects and improve processes to help boost their profits. 

It is a way of addressing strategic objectives. For example, for people working for the same company, different departments must collaborate with the same vision. This does not mean that the HR department also has to deal with the production. It means workers and managers in a Tesla Gigafactory believe they are working for a zero-emission future. Remember that the reason why Tesla produce and sell electric cars is “to drive the world's transition to electric vehicles.”, producing excellent EVs is what Tesla is doing, Tesla's strategy is how it doing. In addition, I reckon that PDCA(Plan, Do, Check, Action) is also an important part of the Six Sigma. Because it provides a systemic toolkit to monitor and change process to met the expectations of customers.

In conclusion, I reckon that the DMAIC model is consistently connected to Six Sigma. This because it originates from that method and is explicitly used as the Six Sigma working model. Six Sigma was developed with a very specific goal such as defect rates in production processes through statistical analysis. the DMAIC process involves identifying the issue that a company trying to solve, implementing a solution, and maintaining that solution in the future. For example, suppose there is a defect in the supply chain that need to be fixed. the DMAIC process is able to be adopted to resovle the issue. The Six Sigma is about monitoring the supply chain for defects, identifying issues, and solving them as effectively as possible.

Reference

Lucid Content Team. (2019, December 20). Six sigma methodology for Project Management. Lucidchart. Retrieved April 26, 2022, from https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/what-is-six-sigma-project-management-methodology 

Purdue University. (2021, November 3). DMAIC vs. DMADV - Lean Six sigma certification - purdue online. Lean Six Sigma Online Certification & Training at Purdue University. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.purdue.edu/leansixsigmaonline/blog/dmaic-vs-dmadv/ 

Budget Processes, Mandated Approach or Participative Approach

What did you think of when you hear the word "budget"? A budget is a detailed and quantified financial plan for the future expectations or actions of individuals or organizations. It is usually relative to how an individual or organization uses their limited resources. Budgeting is probably the word we don't want to talk about because we don't want to be restricted financially. It makes us feel like we do not have the freedom to do something or to do what we want. However, it can prevent overestimation and understand we cannot do things beyond our control. Although the process of evaluating a budget may seem painful for most people and organizations, we still have to plan and make decisions largely on the basis of it. Moreover, it also provides benchmarks for organizations to evaluate the results of strategies and goals. If you are an investor, you desire to know how the companies in your portfolio manage their budgets since insufficient resources to sustain operation has been one of the top common reasons companies file bankruptcy.

Mandated Approach

In a nutshell, it is a top-down approach. The upper-level executives call the shots. The budget is prepared and processed mostly based on the top managers' decisions and they prepare the budget based on the objectives and goals. And then, passes it on to department managers for implementation. 

The obvious disadvantage is that just like most governments, their decisions often let their people down. By the way, that's also why digital and decentralized currencies such as Bitcoin are so popular recently. Those top managers do not truly know what the fronts need. As the expectation gaps get larger and larger, it will destroy the whole organization. Because, the top manager will lose their trust and credibility. In addition, those top executives are not involved in the day-to-day operations of individual departments and may tend to have realistic expectations of the expenses related to each department. Moreover, the lower-level managers may find it difficult to implement the budget because they are unaware of how the top management arrived at these unrealistic targets. 

However, this approach isn't always bad. This approach allows top executives to allocate resources with a comprehensive view. Just like a chess players, they care about the overall success and save time, rather than time-consuming discussion. This makes the budget process quicker than bottom-up budgeting. In addition, the top executives are also taking more risks and responsibilities for the company's operation. Therefore, their power is somewhat reasonable.

Participative Approach

Conversely, the participative approach is bottom-up budgeting. It starts at the lower level such as the department level and then moves up to the top management. Instead of calling them "lower levels", I call them the "front" lines. Those teams and managers are closer to the markets and customers. They prepare their budget based on present information and past experiences and present it to senior management for approval. 

Since it is a self-imposed approach, it improves employee morale and job satisfaction. Moreover, the top executives do not always have the accurate information and the best expertise to make every single decision. However, it is usually more time-consuming 

because it passes through more eyes and brains. In addition, I reckon that sometimes those front lines do not want to be stressed. They tend to increase the budgets up to ten or twenty percent higher than they need since those gaps give them more room for mistakes and inefficiency. 

Blended Approach

As we discussed above, theoretically, budgeting can be characterized as top-down or bottom-up. But, the reality is that most budgets are prepared with a blended approach where information is passed both ways. However, top management can lose touch with information originating on the front line as budget information is transferred up and down an organization, and front-line employees may not always get a clear picture of the goals and objectives originating with senior management. But, by doing this, companies can combine the benefits of the mandated approach and the participative approach, eliminating the disadvantages of the two. 

Which Approach Do You Think Is The Best?

I think there is not a perfect approach or one fits all approach. It depends on each different situation to consider. Rather than racking brains on it, I reckon that boosting communication efficiency and effectiveness is more important than working hard on trying to choose the right approach to prepare budgets. In addition, building trust is also a supremer.

Reference

Top-down budgeting. Corporate Finance Institute. (2022, March 6). Retrieved April 23, 2022, from https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/knowledge/finance/top-down-budgeting/ 

Personality Types Based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) & The Four Core Learning Styles in The VARK Model

 Introduction

"Typing people" itself finds understanding as to the way people prefer to use their minds and how they behave. It provides an understanding of how we interact with others. Learning style preferences can balance information providers with receivers. For example, some instructors praise more than challenge their students. Other instructors challenge students to a higher level of performance rather than providing purely positive feedback. We can facilitate a balanced approach to boost learning efficiency and effectiveness. However, "mismatches between teaching and learning styles are inevitable"(Bayne, 1995, p.127) but instructors can continue to work from their strengths while taking the opportunity to address other styles. For instance, intuitive instructors could include more facts in their lessons rather than only relying on internal understanding or intuition. 

In personality typology, the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is an introspective self-report questionnaire indicating differing psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. The test attempts to assign four categories, introversion or extraversion, sensing or intuition, thinking or feeling, judging or perceiving. One letter from each category is taken to produce a four-letter test result, such as "INTJ" or "ESFP". Today, the MBTI inventory is one of the most widely used psychological instruments in the world.

Personality Types

Based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), people are identified as having one of 16 personality types. The goal of the MBTI is to allow respondents to further explore and understand their own personalities including their likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses, and possible career preferences. One thing to be clear, no one personality type is best or better than another. It isn't a tool designed to look for dysfunction or abnormality and its goal is simply to help people learn more about themselves. 

Now, let's look at what each letter of the MBTI represents and the senses behind them.

Extraversion (E) – Introversion (I) 

The extraversion-introversion dichotomy is a way to describe how people respond and interact with the world around them. Extraverts tend to enjoy more frequent social interaction and feel energized after spending time with other people. Introverts are inward-turning and tend to enjoy deep and meaningful social interactions.

Sensing (S) – Intuition (N) 

How do people gather information from the world around them? People who prefer sensing tend to pay a great deal of attention to reality, particularly to what they can learn from their senses. They tend to focus on facts and enjoy getting hands-on experience. Those who prefer intuition pay more attention to things like patterns and impressions. They enjoy thinking about possibilities, imagining the future, and abstract theories.

Thinking (T) – Feeling (F) 

People who prefer thinking place a greater emphasis on facts and objective data tend to be consistent, logical, and impersonal when weighing a decision. Those who prefer feeling are more likely to consider people and emotions when concluding.

Judging (J) – Perceiving (P) 

This scale involves how people tend to deal with the outside world. Prefer open, flexible, and adaptable, or not. All people at least spend some time engaged in extraverted activities. 

The MBTI Types 

Each type is then listed by its four-letter code:

• ISTJ - The Inspector
• ISTP - The Crafter
• ISFJ - The Protector
• ISFP - The Artist
• INFJ - The Advocate
• INFP - The Mediator
• INTJ - The Architect
• INTP - The Thinker
• ESTP - The Persuader
• ESTJ - The Director
• ESFP - The Performer
• ESFJ - The Caregiver
• ENFP - The Champion
• ENFJ - The Giver
• ENTP - The Debater
• ENTJ - The Commander

In the next chapter, let's look at a few examples of some types.

An Overview of the INFJ Personality Type

Scoring as an INFJ means your personality type is best described as Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Judging. Sometimes referred to as the Advocate or the Idealist. They're easy-going perfectionists. Both logical and emotional, creative and analytical. The key INFJ characteristics are compassionate, idealist, organized, and both emotional and logical. This type of person tends to be sensitive to the needs of others and highly creative. They value close and deep relationships and enjoy thinking about the meaning of life. However, being overly sensitive can be a bad thing sometimes. Overly high expectations also make them exhausted.

An Overview of the ESTJ Personality Type

ESTJs are often described as logical, take-charge kinds of people. They are committed to tradition, standards, and laws. The key ESTJ characteristics are they tend to place a high value on tradition, rules, and security. They are usually stubborn and unyielding. Their self-confidence and strong convictions help them excel at putting plans into action. People often describe ESTJs as predictable, stable, committed, and practical. Their strengths are practical, realistic, dependable, traditional, and good leadership skills. However, their weaknesses are insensitive, inflexible, not good at expressing feelings, and even bossy.

An Overview of the ISTP Personality Type

People with ISTP personalities enjoy having time to think alone and are fiercely independent. ISTPs enjoy taking things apart just to see how they work. They are logical and rational but are more interested in practical applications than in abstract ideas. The key ISTP characteristics are results-oriented, enjoying new experiences, prefer to make judgments based upon objective criteria rather than personal beliefs or values, quiet but with an easygoing attitude towards others, and good at keeping a cool head, maintaining their objectivity and coping with crisis. And, as always, there are also strengths and weaknesses. Logical, action-oriented, realistic, practical, enjoying learning new things, self-confident and easygoing are their strengths. However, difficult to get to know, insensitive, and does not like commitment, are their weaknesses.

The Learning Styles

The four core learning styles in the VARK model include visual, auditory, reading and writing, and kinesthetic. Here’s an overview of these four styles.

i. Visual - Visual learners are better able to retain information when it’s presented to them in a graphic depiction, such as arrows, charts, diagrams, and symbols. To teach visual learners effectively, you must give a presentation, and make sure visual learners have enough time to process and absorb visual cues. 

ii. Auditory - Prefer listening to information that is presented to them vocally and also enjoy reading aloud to themselves. To teach auditory learners, it is better to give a lecture and make sure you are addressing your auditory learners directly to get them involved in the conversation. Group discussions, engaging videos, and audio recordings are other great ways to engage auditory learners in your classroom. 

iii. Reading & Writing - Focusing on the written word, reading and writing learners succeed with written information on worksheets, presentations, and other text-heavy resources. To teach reading and writing learners effectively, it is useful to write essays, perform in-depth research, and read textbooks. They prefer more traditional methods of subject matter delivery. 

iv. Kinesthetic - Kinesthetic learners are hands-on and thrive when engaging all of their senses during course work. These learners tend to work well in scientific studies due to the hands-on lab component of the course. To effectively teach kinesthetic learners, it is better to get them up and moving and create learning games that encourage these types of learners.

Reference

Bayne, R. (1995). The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: A critical review and practical guide. London, UK: Chapman & Hall.

Cherry, K. (2021, June 18). What personality traits are characteristic of infjs. Verywell Mind. Retrieved April 17, 2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/infj-introverted-intuitive-feeling-judging-2795978 

Cherry, K. (2021, July 23). Myers-Briggs Type indicator: The 16 personality types. Verywell Mind. Retrieved April 17, 2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/the-myers-briggs-type-indicator-2795583 

Lead a project and a team

 The Project Leader of Shifting The Product Lines from Fossil Fueled Cars to Electric Cars

The transition to an environmentally sustainable economy will take at least a generation if we have "enough" time for that. However, all analyses are suggesting that we have to minimize the damage on the planet, NOW. A critical element of the transition is to reduce our use of fossil fuels since it is environmentally destructive. According to the US Energy Information Administration(EIA), the United States is a nation on the move. About 26% of total U.S. energy consumption in 2020 was for transporting people and goods from one place to another. In the past decades, more of those fossil fuels is for transportation. However, petroleum is still the main source of energy for transportation. In 2020, petroleum products accounted for about 90% of the total U.S. transportation sector energy use. Natural gas accounted for about 3%, most of which was used in natural gas pipeline compressors. Electricity provided less than 1% of total transportation sector energy use and nearly all of that in mass transit systems. 

Although most of America’s electricity still comes from fossil fuels, electric vehicles charged by that source of energy indirectly generate greenhouse gasses, as our sources of electricity transition from fossil fuels, the infrastructure of electric vehicles and charging stations will be in place and will facilitate the reduction of greenhouse gases. The trend toward zero-emission vehicles will stimulate the reduction of greenhouse gases. As a multinational vehicle manufacturer, this opportunity and threat is not the one you want to ignore. The movement is not only profitable but also a MUST.

How To Organize Such A Project Team? 

From the demand side of the project, organizing such a team I need at least six major types of professionals that are design and Manufacturing, battery engineering, materials and supply chain management, marketing, and retail. It is a very original and basic concept. Essentially, they will start with designing a prototype and testing it. If it works, then I will set up a goal to put it into mass production. Finding a place for building the factory and then the marketing and retail experts will do their jobs to sell those products. The material and supply chain professionals will have to find a way to stably purchase the required materials such as searching for some long-term trustworthy suppliers and negotiating the contracts. I will have to keep inspiring the designers to design better products and coordinate the workers and managers to produce the products flawlessly. One thing to be clear is that those professionals are all in charge of their own team. Each step follows the PDCA(Plan, Do, Check, Action) rule to develop. Plan(Design > Prototype > Production plan > Produce > Sell ), Do(Implement the plan), Check(Issues solving and find solutions), Action(Implement the new plan). 

How Many Team Members Would The Project Need?

Those most interested in maximizing efficiency and reaching a successful project outcome should focus on selecting individuals for their unique talents, strengths, and skills that align directly with the project goals. Therefore, the project must have a product manager(design), a production manager(manufacture), a battery specialist, a marketing executive, and a sales manager.

What Kinds of Talents and/or Skills Would The Team Need?

I think all these managers are good at what they should do is the fundamental requirements. However, some substantial skills such as battery technology and mass manufacturing are crucial to the quality of the products. Cells are optimized electrochemical, thermal, micron-scale mechanical systems designed to be manufactured at millions per day scale. Therefore, the battery expert must be excellent in this field. But, it doesn’t matter where they come from, where they went to school, or what industry they are previously in. If anyone wants to do outstanding work, join the team to rethink the future of sustainable energy and manufacturing.

The list below shows the essential requirements of each manager that the project needs.

• Product Manager: To lead a team to design and build prototypes, he/she needs leadership skills, industry design, and communication skills.
• Production Manager(manufacture): To put a prototype into mass production, he/she needs technical skills, interpersonal skills, problem-solving skills, and communication skills.
• Battery Specialist: Safety and storage of batteries in production, support, and training the workers. 
• Marketing executive: Good teamwork skills, communication skills, adaptability, planning skills, creativity, and writing skills.
• Sales Executive: Self-motivated and driven by targets, and strong communication skills.

How To Align Their Talents and Skills To Their Assigned Project Tasks?

A successful team is one where each member has unique strengths they can use to achieve separate parts of the same goal. It's no coincidence that the teams that are comprised of individuals who are working in their area of strength produce extraordinary results. Team members must recognize the value they bring to the group and can fully engage in the project because they see the growth potential. 

To effectively assign the members to roles that align with their competencies, the first step is to identify the project mission, its purpose, and its responsibilities. The roles identified should align with the plan's overall strategy. Secondly, assessing competencies. Assess the knowledge, skills, qualifications, unique talents, and experience of members willing to be involved in project implementation. Finally, assign responsibilities. Review roles which required to be filled and identify individuals who best fill each. 

The Possible Problems or Obstacles 

To create a successful project team, we must confront and address many issues such as lack of trust, conflicts, information sharing, low engagement, group thinking, and misunderstanding of the goals and vision.

Dealing with Those Problems

Trust

Trust is crucial to teamwork, and it starts with people knowing each other. Team members absolutely need to be acquainted, both professionally and personally. There are a few effective ways to build trust such as valuing long-term relationships, being honest, honoring your commitments, admitting when you're wrong, and being vulnerable. 

Conflicts

To resolve conflicts, we must understand the conflict, communicate with the opposition, brainstorm possible resolutions, and explore alternatives.

Information Sharing

Information sharing is a central process through which team members collectively utilize their available informational resources. Teams and organizations that can overcome the quality hurdle and find ways to share rich, contextual threat intelligence within communities of interest often rely on the largest members to initially fill the queue with shared intelligence. To encourage and foster a fruitful information-sharing mindset, leaders have to model the behavior from the top and make knowledge-sharing part of the team values. 

Low Engagement

Engagement is about how employees feel and contribute to job satisfaction, so understanding the workforce's mindset is critical. If the engagement is low, as a leader, I have to develop a plan for building it back up. But before I start, there's a lot of prep work to do. Of course, first I have to learn why employees feel disengaged through effective conversations. And, I have to be empathetic and track workforce-related key performance indicators.

Groupthink

Groupthink is a phenomenon where individuals in a group tend to push aside their personal opinions or beliefs to reach a shared consensus with the group. Use communications platforms that allow for different channels, like video chat and screen sharing, and find ways to include the quiet members of the team in conversations, to build a stronger team.

Misunderstand The Goals and vision

While misunderstandings are common and don’t always cause bigger problems such as conflicts. Therefore, be mindful of how the team communicates, ask questions, avoid emotional conflict, and avoid defensiveness.

Reference

10 common problems project teams face: Challenges & Solutions. APM. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2022, from https://www.apm.org.uk/blog/10-common-problems-project-teams-face/ 

Take online courses. earn college credit. Research Schools, Degrees & Careers. Study.com | Take Online Courses. Earn College Credit. Research Schools, Degrees & Careers. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2022, from https://study.com/academy/lesson/aligning-individual-strengths-with-team-goals.html 

U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - independent statistics and analysis. Use of energy for transportation - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2022, from https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/use-of-energy/transportation.php 

Find two companies that have their vision/mission statements on their websites. Summarize those statements and briefly explain the meaning of those statements.

 Introduction

Find two companies that have their vision/mission statements on their websites. Summarize those statements and briefly explain the meaning of those statements.

What Is A Vision/Mission Statement?

A mission statement is used by a company or an organization to explain its purpose. Generally, it is a short sentence or a paragraph such as "We are trying to achieve world peace." or "Our goal is to provide environmental-friendly products for everyone." Mission statements serve several purposes, including motivating employees and reassuring investors of the organization's future. Usually, we can see many companies' mission statements on their official websites that define their culture, values, ethics, and goals. Now, let's look at some examples.

i. Tesla 

We all know that Tesla is an electric car giant today. But according to its mission statement, "Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.", it is not only an auto manufacturer. Rather, it aims to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy by transferring fossil-fueled vehicles to electric. And they did it. Tesla has proved that people didn’t need to compromise to drive electric cars. Its electric vehicles can do better than fossil ones, which is a quicker and more reliable solution. Moreover, Tesla also builds clean energy generation and storage products to further accelerate the moves toward a zero-emission future. For example, its energy solutions such as Powerwall, Powerpack, and Solar Roof, enable homeowners, businesses, and utilities to manage renewable energy generation, storage, and consumption. I think that electric cars, batteries, and renewable energy generation and storage already exist independently, but when combined, they become even more powerful. And, probably, that’s our future.

ii. Greenpeace

Greenpeace is a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions to a better future. According to the mission statement on its official website, its goal is to "ensure the ability of Earth to nurture life in all its diversity". We have seen many of its protests before and most of them are about climate change. They frequently stand for positive change through action to defend the natural world, promote peace, and investigate, expose and confront environmental abuse by governments and corporations around the world. For decades, they seek solutions for discussion about society’s environmental choices and it also reflects its fundamental principle which is to seek solutions that will promote global social equity. According to its goals, it tries to protect biodiversity in all its forms, prevent pollution, end nuclear threats, and global disarmament. Although I think many of its goals are incredibly hard to achieve, I still admire the efforts it made.

Reference

About Tesla. Tesla. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://www.tesla.com/about 

About. Greenpeace USA. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/about/ 

Chen, J. (2021, August 20). Mission statement. Investopedia. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/missionstatement.asp

Greenpeace East Asia. (n.d.). Mission & Values. Greenpeace East Asia. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://www.greenpeace.org/eastasia/mission-values/