Includes bibliographical references (p. 241-242) and index.

"Achieving greater efficiency and effectiveness have always been very important for both for-profit and public sector organizations. Many organizations and government agencies mandate Lean programs in the hope of achieving these objectives, but often these programs underperform and result in resistance.Strength-based Lean Six Sigma helps increase the level of employees' engagement with Lean initiatives by shifting the conversation from "what is not efficient or non-value-add and needs to be removed/reduced" to "what is already efficient/value adding and can be built upon or expanded." Combining the energy and motivation released through a strengths-based approach with the focus on quality and efficiency generated by Lean Six Sigma, the book offers practitioners the opportunity to understand each other and work successfully together to drive effective and powerful change programs"-- Provided by publisher.

"Strength-based Lean Six Sigma is a new way of approaching process improvement that combines the best practices of two established methodologies to generate a new approach in order to help you develop and deliver increased high performance in any organization. It is the first book to use approaches in business improvement as well as organizational change for optimum organizational performance and improved agility. Combining the energy and motivation released through a strengths-based approach with the focus on quality and efficiency generated by lean six sigma, it offers practitioners from all disciplines the opportunity to understand each other and work successfully together to drive effective and powerful change programmes"-- Provided by publisher.

Machine generated contents note: Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- Navigating this book PART ONE Define 01 Approaches to organizational change and process improvement -- Historical context -- Developments in organizational change and change management -- Six Sigma -- Lean Thinking -- Lean Six Sigma -- Summary02 Strength-based approaches to change -- Strength-based approach 1: Appreciative Inquiry -- Strength-based approach 2: Solution Focus coaching -- Strength-based approach 3: Positive Deviance -- Shared themes between the key strength approaches -- The differences between the strength-based approaches -- Other complementary tools and approaches -- Learning more about strength-based change -- SummaryPART TWO Discover 03 The birth of Strength-based Lean Six Sigma -- A journey of discovery and emergence -- Problem-solving experience built, Appreciative Inquiry discovered - now what? -- Appreciating all my skills and building bridges between them -- Summary04 Strength-based approaches and their potential contribution to Lean Six Sigma -- Appreciative Inquiry -- Solution Focus -- Positive Deviance -- Summary05 The principles behind the strength-based approach to Lean Six Sigma -- How have these principles shaped Lean Six Sigma practice and tools? -- Introducing the Appreciative Inquiry principles -- What do the Appreciative Inquiry principles mean in the context of Lean Six Sigma? -- Additional principles to consider from Solution Focus and Positive Deviance, and their meaning for Lean Six Sigma -- Summary06 Exploring the 'positive core' -- Exploring the best of Lean Six Sigma -- Exploring the best of Appreciative Inquiry, Solution Focus and Positive Deviance -- Exploring the best in yourself as a change agent/improvement practitioner -- Exploring the best in the system(s) you are working with -- Exploring your hopes for the future -- SummaryPART THREE Dream 07 What is Strength-based Lean Six Sigma? -- How do I defi ne Strength-based Lean Six Sigma? -- Why this combination? -- Why not stick to either one approach or the other -- Summary08 The vision for a Strength-based Lean Six Sigma practice -- Shifting to a new paradigm - key assumptions to reconsider -- Being Strength-based Lean Six Sigma (instead of thinking or doing) -- Our key objectives - quality, fl ow and value -- What about continuous learning and improvement? -- Summary09 Strength-based metrics and performance review -- How to apply strength-based thinking to scorecards - a few pointers -- The leadership opportunity - an invitation to think and act differently -- Summary -- 10 Approaches to Strength-based Lean Six Sigma -- The whole organization -- A priority process -- A project -- The project or process team -- The tools we use -- Getting started -- SummaryPART FOUR Design 11 The Strength-based Lean Six Sigma Tools -- Wishbone analysis/success cause analysis -- The 'value walk' and the 'seven signs of value' -- Process/value-stream mapping -- Gemba/Genbutsu ('go see') -- Strength-based five-Why's -- A3 template -- Summary12 The Strength-based Lean Six Sigma process - classic frameworks with a fresh twist -- PDCA/PDSA -- DMAIC -- 5D -- Summary13 A proposed design for a strength-based Kaizen event -- The Kaizen 'define' stage -- Setting up for success -- The Kaizen event - Discover and Dream -- The Kaizen event - Design and Deliver -- Closing the Kaizen event 1 -- The Kaizen event - follow up -- Summary14 Moving beyond frameworks and tools -- Developing strength-focused eyes -- Summary 1PART FIVE Deliver/Destiny 15 Introducing Appreciative Inquiry to organizations practising Lean Six Sigma -- What is important to consider when introducing the topic? -- How to introduce: tips for success -- Summary16 Defining the topic of inquiry -- How to uncover great topics -- Creating a platform for change -- Summary17 Strength-based Lean Six Sigma case stories -- Challenge 2: Engaging everyone in improvements -- Challenge 3: Managing daily improvement activities from a strength-based perspective -- Summary18 Destiny - opening the door to the future of Strengthbased Lean Six Sigma -- The full spectrum of possibilities for the second generation -- The case for the third generation according to Jeremy -- SummaryAppendix A: A comparison of deficit - and strength-based problem solving -- Appendix B: Where to learn more about strength-based change -- References -- Index.