Black Belt vs. PMP® Certification

Friend or Foe?

Tantalizing Tidbits

? What is Six Sigma and a Black Belt?? Why Certification?? How do the Certifications Compare?? So Why the Difference?

? Best Practices can be Shared? Create Visible PMP® Certification Structure? Keep the PMP® in the Spotlight!

What is Six Sigma & a Black Belt?

In 5 minutes or less…….(Check out PMI’s other Six Sigma speakers)

What is a Six Sigma Black Belt

?What is Six Sigma?

?Methodology that helps companies reduce costs and accelerate growth through discipline and long-term culture change

? Improves business processes companywide, by using tools to build process capability, by reducing variation, and improving quality

? Focus is on delighting the customer (voice of the customer) & providing excellent service in all business functions, not just manufacturing

Create visible certification structure

? Work is completed in a Project Team

? Led by a company’s employee who is a trained Six Sigma expert. These project managers have titles related to their level of Six Sigma training, such as Black Belt or Green Belt.

? The team is populated with members who also have some basic Six Sigma training, such as yellow or white belts.

What is a Six Sigma Black Belt? Six Sigma projects have very specific charters, timelines,

and goals; and specifically target repeatable, established processes.

? The DMAIC (pronounced duh-May-ick) methodology is the cornerstone of Six Sigma, providing discipline and structure to specific project teams.

? DMAIC stands for Define - Measure - Analyze -Improve - Control, which represent the major phases or gates of the project lifecycle.

DMAICSix Sigma project lifecycle

PMI’s 5 Process GroupsStandard project lifecycle

How do the Lifecycles Work Together?

Initiating

Planning

Define(includes initial charter

creation by sponsor)

ExecutingMeasureAnalyzeImprove

Closing ControlRealization

Monitoring

So Black Belts and PMP® s aren’t so

different?

Are the certifications the same?

Why Certification?

? Validation? Reputation? Credentials? Standards? Ethics? Best Practices? Legal Requirements? Filter? Career

? Recourse? Tangible? Confidence? Hype? Buzz? Compensation? Transference? Skills? Assurance

Risk Management!

So Why the Difference?? The Power of the title “PMP®”

? Project Management Gurus - provide industry specialization (construction, government, IT, etc.), structure, detail-orientation, software solutions

? Create and populate PMOs and major initiatives - are thought of as individuals, rather than part of a group infrastructure

? Business leaders may refer to them as “Hidden Gems”, “Secret Weapons”, and “Go-to People”

So Why the Difference?? The Power of the title “Black Belt”

? Evokes historical images of discipline, training, excellence, ethics, standardization

? Currently associated with overall performance and leadership, not just project management. Read: executive involvement and sponsorship

? Common buzz in today’s Business vocabularyProblem? Solution => “Get me a Black Belt!”

That’s Visibility!

How Do the Certifications Compare? Black Belt Certification

? Companies determine criteria and candidates

? Complete 4-6 weeks training & additional software training

? Testing of course material? Approval by sponsor, mentor,

Master Black Belt, boss? Complete 2 projects with specified

$$$ savings? Coach Green Belts and team

members? Deliver training and

communication in business units? Most BBs have to work full-time in

position for 12-24 months

? Average cost : $25,000 - $50,000? Certification by BB’s employer

? PMP® Certification? Individual determines desire to be

a PMP® candidate? Application to sit for certification

exam approved by PMI? Specified # of hours of previous

project management experience? Minimum # of prior PDUs and

formal education? Complete some method of

examination preparation? Pass PMP® certification exam? Sign Project Management Code of

Professional Conduct? Complete 60 PDUs in next 3

years to maintain certification

? Average cost : $1,500 - $3,000? Certification by PMI

So How Do PMP®s Get Some of that

Visibility?

Borrow Best Practices!

Create visible certification structure

?Artificially create visible certification structure?Sponsorship and Executive Involvement?Safety & Savings in Big Numbers?Timelines & Deliverables?Communication Plan?Celebrate Success

Run it like a Project!

Create visible certification structure

? Sponsorship and Executive Involvement

?WIFM – What’s in it for ME?? ROI and other financial metrics? Best practices & repeatable processes? Invite outside speakers

? Strive for full company sponsorship? Company investments in time, $$$ and

resources are measured and tracked (your personal dedications is not!)

Create visible certification structure

? Safety & Savings in Big Numbers

? Broad Based Participation? Study Groups, Mentoring Resources, Accountability? Collaborative execution creates enhanced results

? Sponsors pressured to support? Reduced costs

?Materials, Instructors, Meeting facilities, PMI membership

Create visible certification structure

? Timelines & Deliverables

? Shows commitment and dedication? Tangible plan for leaders to gauge and measure? Easy to incorporate in divisional and individual

objectives and reviews? Drives sense of urgency? Represents future PMP®’s ability to contribute

value through project management skills

Create visible certification structure

? Communication Plan

? Be your own PR whiz, because it is about buzz, motivation, and excitement

? If they don’t know about, they can’t support you? Stakeholder communication – a PMP® candidate’s

strongest (but most underutilized) asset? Don’t forget about the WIFM

Create visible certification structure

? Celebrate Success

? Key Milestones that are truly deserving? Highlight benefits and value to organization? Be generous in sharing acknowledgments? Inclusive rather than exclusive?Make sure to reach beyond the

“car-ride employees”: (sales, decentralized locations, customers, suppliers, overseas, etc.)

We’re Certified!

Now What?

Keep the PMP® in the Spotlight

?Highlight ongoing PMP® contributions?Report on Key Performance Indicators?Foster On-going Certification Activities?Research and Introduce Best Practices?Focus on Internal Collaboration?Expand on External Collaboration

Run it like a Program!

? Report on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) – formal or informal*

? $$ Savings? Revenue Increase? Customer satisfaction / loyalty? Risk Management Success? Project duration reduction? ROI? Break-Even Point? IRR? Resource Utilization Levels

? Give your boss or sponsor something good to talk about

Keep the PMP® in the Spotlight

Keep the PMP® in the Spotlight

? Foster On-going Certification Activities

? “The More the Merrier” – help other colleagues complete the certification steps

? Remind current PMP® s of PDU opportunities? Create updates on bi-annual basis for senior

management with key internal and external statistics

Keep the PMP® in the Spotlight? Research and Introduce Best Practices

? Keep up with industry news and research? Utilize PMI’s resources fully? Represent your company at events, summits, conferences? Introduce new practices as appropriate through various

company communication channels

Keep the PMP® in the Spotlight

? External Collaboration

? Create a “Pull environment” where customers, suppliers, and vendors are requesting to work with a PMP®

? Be active in professional associations? Volunteer your skills in your community? Participate on Company outreach teams

and boards

Keep the PMP® in the Spotlight? Internal Collaboration

? Embrace and be knowledgeable about a variety of methodologies

? Help stakeholders understand how various project tools, reporting requirements, teams, and methods can work together and enhance results

?Work with leaders to identify possible discrepancies or redundancies and propose solutions for bridging these differences

Thanks!

For more information contact:

Michelle GoodmanMGB Business Services, Inc.www.MBGbusiness-services.com651-224-0923MichelleGoodman@MBGbusiness-services.com