Black Belt vs. PMP Certification

1
Black Belt vs. PMP Certification

• Friend or Foe?

2
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!

3
What is Six Sigma a Black Belt?

• In 5 minutes or less.
• (Check out PMIs other Six Sigma speakers)

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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

5
Create visible certification structure

• Work is completed in a Project Team
• Led by a companys 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.

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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.

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How do the Lifecycles Work Together?
PMIs 5 Process Groups Standard project lifecycle
DMAIC Six Sigma project lifecycle
Define (includes initial charter creation by
sponsor)
Monitoring
Realization
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So Black Belts and PMP s arent so different?

• Are the certifications the same?

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Why Certification?

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

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

Risk Management!
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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

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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 todays Business vocabulary
• Problem? Solution gt Get me a Black Belt!
• Thats Visibility!

12
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 BBs 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

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So How Do PMPs Get Some of that Visibility?

• Borrow Best Practices!

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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!

15
Create visible certification structure

• Sponsorship and Executive Involvement
• WIFM Whats 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!)

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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

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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 PMPs ability to contribute
  value through project management skills

18
Create visible certification structure

• Communication Plan
• Be your own PR whiz, because it is about buzz,
  motivation, and excitement
• If they dont know about, they cant support you
• Stakeholder communication a PMP candidates
  strongest (but most underutilized) asset
• Dont forget about the WIFM

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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.)

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Were Certified!

• Now What?

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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!

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Keep the PMP in the Spotlight

• 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

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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

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Keep the PMP in the Spotlight

• Research and Introduce Best Practices
• Keep up with industry news and research
• Utilize PMIs resources fully
• Represent your company at events, summits,
  conferences
• Introduce new practices as appropriate through
  various company communication channels

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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

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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

27
Thanks!

• For more information contact
• Michelle Goodman
• MGB Business Services, Inc.
• www.MBGbusiness-services.com
• 651-224-0923
• MichelleGoodman_at_MBGbusiness-services.com