The ability to build rapport and communicate effectively
with others is a key skill for any role in the organization. It leads to more
productive sales conversations with clients, enables teams to reach the “performing”stage more quickly, and helps leaders engage and retain their
employees. In previous blogs I’ve shared
with you some examples of how Lumina
Spark has contributed to results for
individuals and teams in the areas of sales, leadership and team development. Lumina learning tools can also have an impact
across the broader organization.
Many organizations today are employing Lean Six Sigma principles
to improve their processes and the quality of their products and services. Effective
communication is a key component in Lean Six Sigma thinking and doing. To
better understand this, I spoke with Nancy Barlett, Six Sigma
Green Belt and President of The Barlett Alliance, a Texas-based consulting firm
that works with organizations in the public sector to improve process
efficiencies and organizational performance.
Here’s what she said:
“When organizations are using Lean Six Sigma in their work,
that translates into deploying many different people over a variety of
functions to solve process problems. Typically, the members of each team are
working on a process/problem that they have in common, but often they have
never worked together before. We know how tricky communication can be with
people we know, so imagine how much more complicated it is when we have
“strangers” coming together for a relatively short period of time to solve a
common problem.
“In case a picture of that doesn’t readily come to mind,
consider the following. The FranklinCovey Company surveyed thousands of
employees around the globe. People were asked if they agreed or did not agree
with a number of statements. One of those statements was: I actively seek out differing viewpoints. The percent of
respondents who “agreed” with that statement? Only 32%!
“Lumina learning tools can be of significant assistance when
that’s exactly what we need people to do to improve the process: seek
out different viewpoints. When individuals can speed read each other and quickly discern why and how they can approach the work
from a variety of perspectives, that turns into a true asset for teams that
have a powerful but short shelf life!”
Lead on,
Rebecca
For more information, please contact me at RebeccaBales@luminalearning.com.
