This was on the quality list serv:

Our firm is currently seeking a Six Sigma Master Black Belt.

We are currently seeking a Master Black Belt, in partnering with Brand and Business leaders with P&L responsibility, driving the identification, quantifying the benefit and structuring BB projects in key process areas with recognizable shareholder value implications. In this role, you will coach Black Belts (project leaders), in order to increase competence and quality of Six Sigma projects throughout the corporation.

Master Black Belt Certification and 7 years of business experience Hands-on Six Sigma project management and coaching experience Hands-on multivariate DOE experience Strong strategic, analytical problem solving, and computer aptitude skills

Able to teach and transfer skills to team leaders, team members, and general audiences

2 years as a MBB and/or 18-24 months in training program to qualify as MBB.

Interested, please send resume or contact more info.

gfields

Referals that get placed will recieve $1000 US. Please feel free to
pass this message along.

This was on the quality list serv:


Referals that get placed will recieve $1000 US. Please feel free to
pass this message along.:topic: Since MBB often start in the $100,000 category plus bonuses and recruiters get anywhere from 20% to 30% or more of first year income as fee, I guess I'd pay $1,000 finder's fee, too, if I were the recruiter.
Not to take away anything from MBB, BB, or 6S in general, it seems to me the hiring organization and recruiter are unnecessarily limiting their pool of potential candidates who can help the organization by concentrating on 6S. I know of several folks who certainly know all the 6S tools (borrowed from Quality), and people skills, but don't have the short-term mentality of 6S folk, nor the actual "certificate" which says MBB. I guess that lets them out of the running, huh?

I find it unusual to equate "training" with skill and experience
2 years as a MBB and/or 18-24 months in training program to qualify as MBB.
I wonder if either the recruiter or hiring organization have a clue as to the Body of Knowledge for the CQM from ASQ? That BOK seems to have more pertinence to overall success of an organization than 6S as I know it.

I hope one of our Covers can convert this opportunity into a healthy paycheck.

One other thing to remember is there is no set criteria for either Black Belt, or Master Black Belt. I attended BB training. I developed a test, and administered it to myself. I conducted and managed several 6S projects, acting as both the 6S Champion and the BB. Based on those projects, I presented myself with a BB cert. After several more projects, I upgraded my cert to MBB. Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. I can post what ever date I like on my cert.

Are we looking for qualified , or competent?

IMO, Wes and db have added a healthy dose of common sense to the debate on 6S in general and with regard to this specific job posting as well. :applause: Yet I can almost hear the hiring company and others like it saying something like "don't confuse us with the facts".

db has the start of a good idea, though. Offer a test for various "db 6S Belts" via the internet and mail. Might as well make some bucks off this!

Good points, yes - but let's not forget the needs of the hiring company. They have a number of trained Black Belts who they have already invested a lot of time and money into and they are looking for a leader to pull a team together. No matter what you wish to call it, I think the idea got across to everyone who read it. I guess they could have left out the "titles" and still made it obvious they needed a top notch "quality tools" person but if they have already started down the "six sigma" path, they are right in sticking to it.

By the way, I agree that there are many here who could probably fill the job nicely even without the title and cert. Dave would be an excellent choice but I doubt he could work for the lower wage.

Just a side point but the recruiter has to do something for his 20 - 30%. The offer of $1000 is very generous in light of the fact all you have to do is point someone in the right direction. If they would send me about 100 positions I am sure I could survive very nicely on "finding" people to apply. Sounds like a good retirement plan to me.

Good luck to anyone from here who applies for the position -- (apologies to Marc here) -- and please mention my name. LOL

Dave

Dave would be an excellent choice but I doubt he could work for the lower wage. Dave

I'm not sure which Dave you are referring to, Dave (you perhaps? :D ) As for me, I work for a not-for-profit organization (that is why I live in a mobile home and have vehicles so old, I have no car payments :( )


On a more serious note. I'm sorry if my tone sounded harsh. I am not questioning the recruiter, or the company. I also know that the company needs to have something to determine who gets to the interview steps. Your comments on the needs of the company are right on, and I hope that they can use the hiring process to find the right team leader for their BB.

vehicles so old, I have no car payments

'03 Lincoln Town Car
'03 Chevrolet Silveardo 2500 4X4

pick one, I'll mail the payment book to you today! :lol:

David Drickhamer, IndustryWeek's Editorial Research Director, had an article in the February 1, 2004 issue of the magazine. Here is a portion of what Mr. Drickhamer had to say about Six Sigma. I have attached the complete article also.

"You're walking down a dark alley. Some shadowy types step out of a doorway. Cold stares. Hands stuffed in pockets. You know the scene. Your companion says, "Don't worry, I'm a black belt." You exhale. "A Six Sigma master black belt in fact." Good thing you can outrun him.

Many certified Six Sigma black belts are as useless in factories as they are in dark alleys. They're being churned out of four-week seminars that are offered by every business school in the country.

Dropped into facilities with a mandate to save the company hundreds of thousands of dollars every year, these certified but inexperienced statistics wizards have failed to deliver in many cases, discrediting the whole endeavor."

Bill Pflanz

Possibly the missing link is common sense. . .

I was able to save one employer $100K/month. . .not per year. All it took was paying attention to 3 things. . . what the customer wanted. . .what we were capable of providing. . .and what our suppliers were giving us.

My reward was ending up working for the guy I replaced. . . because his unemployment ran out. . . and he was the Pres' buddy.

I can sum up this in something I was told by the Presiden of a company as I was hired, " I don't want a white knight. . . I want you to eliminate the need for a white knight"

Wise words. . .