There are two kinds of six sigma certifications; Black Belts and Green Belts. The difference between them is very slight. In most cases, the difference is simply an outline of what is needed for certification. However, there is one clear difference: Green Belts takes their six sigma training very seriously. Whereas, Black Belts are like “play money”, meaning that they do not put any real effort into their six sigma certification programs.
They do not go to such extreme lengths as to make sure that they are the absolute best when it comes to Six Sigma training. On the other hand, Green Belts will go to great lengths to ensure that they get the most out of their Six Sigma courses. In short, the Green Belt is an average person. They know that Six Sigma is important, but they do not necessarily know how to make it work for them! They definitely know that Six Sigma is a valuable tool, but they are not among the best at applying it.
Therefore, the bottom line is that whether you are a Black Belt or Green Belt, if you want to become a six sigma practitioner, you need to get yourself an extremely solid six sigma training program. It may be hard for you to find this, since there are so many Six Sigma Black Belt handbooks available today. However, if you take a little time to research the subject, you can find a solid course at a price that is well below most six sigma certification programs.
I recently read an interesting article by Keith Baxter entitled “Six Sigma Certification is Not a Green Belt Option”. In his article, he makes a compelling case for why Black Belts should be concerned with getting solid six sigma training, rather than Green Belts. This makes a lot of sense to me, and I am going to give him three points to start with. First, the Black Belt certification program is harder. Second, the Black Belts will become much more successful as professionals, because they have a deeper understanding of what Six Sigma is and how to apply it to their careers.
That is the crux of what I am trying to say here. You cannot succeed as a black belt without mastering the tools and techniques of Six Sigma. Without that understanding, you may not get the job done. The six sigma black belt handbook can be your best teacher, but it won’t help you if you do not understand what it is first.
The truth is that there are a lot of people who still don’t know what Six Sigma is. They think that it is about black belts or black belt teams or about getting your hands dirty in the garage. Neither of those are actually true. Six Sigma is more than just that. It is about taking an idea and breaking it down into smaller parts. It is about breaking something down until it is very simple, like the wiring of a car.
Once you have the knowledge of what Six Sigma is, and why it is important, you can move forward with the process. This is where the value of a black belt handbook really comes into play. They will teach you, in detail, what you need to know so that you can get started. You will not have to take classes or read books, but rather, you will have hands-on instructions from someone who has been through all of this, who knows how important it is, and how it will help you get to where you want to go.