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I discussed in the part 1 of SIX SIGMA an overview of what SIX SIGMA was about and how importance it is to integrate such concept into your personal life. I told you that the outcome of everyman is as a result of his cumulative experience; I further discussed the importance of developing your present cumulative experience in order to secure your future. It is a simple; “cause and effect” program; work on the cause and the effect is guaranteed but there is a “BUT”.

It is this “BUT” I want to discuss with you. I still maintain that the SIX SIGMA is a simple “cause and effect” program but the way we interpret or understand “cause and effect” may be the issue. For a company like Toyota that has a strong quality program, the manufacturing of car may just be a simple input-output system; this means get grade “A” parts together, assemble it according to their design and the output is a quality car. The process is simply the assembling of first grade parts approved by Toyota and the output is a brand new car.

From an average understanding of the example above, the “cause” is the process of approving quality parts, outsourcing the parts to quality suppliers, imprinting their logo on those parts and assembling the parts together while the resultant “effect” will be the car; it could be a Sequoia, a Camry or a Corolla. This understanding is definitely flawed; it is the way most people understand the concept and it is the reason people hardly get result and thus frustrated, afraid and unable to be their true self.

This example will bring a clearer picture; Akin and Dare are best friends; they attended the same secondary school; they were both topping their class; they both got the best results for their WAEC examinations; they put in for JAMB and filled in the same course program and the same school. They always talked about working with Mobil Producing Nigeria so they filled in for Chemical Engineering. At the end of their program, Akin graduated with a Second Class Upper while Dare graduated with a First Class.

Akin was not bothered; his goal was to work with Mobil Nigeria. When the opportunity came and the recruitment process began, Akin and Dare did well in the test but only Akin was chosen to work with Mobil Producing together with other graduate trainees. Dare was very angry, he did not understand what happened; he had a feeling that nepotism was involved. Dare ended up working with Procter and Gamble. This is a classic example to understanding “cause and effect”.

Akin and Dare went through the same process but only Akin got the required outcome. The FOUR SIGMA concepts allows more defect than the SIX SIGMA; the FOUR SIGMA strategy is fully based on after sale strategy which translates to the customer bringing back the product for repairs while the SIX SIGMA focuses on the total elimination of defects. In the example above, it may seem that Dare did an excellent job in the process or it may even seem he accomplished the SIX SIGMA; achieving the First Class position but this is a false premise.

There is a concept in the SIX SIGMA strategy called the hidden factory where a process has been corrupted but it is masked by outward show until the financial numbers start crunching. The products are coming out perfect but the financial targets are not at par; this is where we start unmasking the hidden factory. Let me use a business situation to explain the hidden factory which is an ad hoc system and process set up to correct errors especially in manufacturing. If I work in department B of a factory and I return a defective part to department A, before it is noticed by the management. I may think I am acting responsible but I am masking a bad process.

This is because producing the defective product in the first place takes up unnecessary space, time and resources. After returning it to department A, the defective product will be corrected and come out well. Management will see that all products coming from the factory are qualitatively perfect but the financials will always reveal a flaw in the system because it would cost the company more to adopt the “detection-correction” concept. The more the cost, the less the profit that will come out and so the company will not do well.

Jesus Christ explained it this way; I will only judge by the fruits not by the leaves; this is why he had to curse the fig tree. The fig tree did not satisfy his hunger and so was Dare; Dare did not satisfy the hunger of Mobil Nigeria. Mobil Nigeria was looking for a particular fruit to work with them; Akin had the fruit but his leaves were not as much as Dare’s leaves: Dare had a first class but he could not produce the requisite fruit that Mobil needed but Akin had a Second Class Upper and produced the fruits.

What happened to Dare? This question will bring us to the true meaning of SIX SIGMA. You will understand why SIX SIGMA is different from other quality programs? Why SIX SIGMA exemplifies to us the true meaning of “sowing and reaping”. Why so many of us have been frustrated from lack of results? If the Almighty God, the creator of the universe, said “As long as there is earth, seed time and harvest time shall not seize”, then we should be sure that this is true.” God even showed his willingness to back up his word by sowing his own son. Then why does it seem that people sow and not reap?

The problem is the hidden factory; in human being, this is called the intention. The “cause” is not the series of input that Akin and Dare encountered on their way to Mobil recruitment exercise but the decision that they took to enter Mobil. Remember, they both talked about it but did they both have the intention to go to Mobil? This is where we all miss it; because I talk about something does not mean I intend to accomplish it. There is nothing in this world that you fully intend to do that will not be accomplished. The key word is “fully”.

“Intention” starts from the mind not the physical labor you carry out. The physical labor you carry out is called “sowing” or “harvesting”. Sowing/Harvesting is the physical work you exert to get your “manifestation”. “Intention” is the decision to get that manifestation. The “manifestation” in our root example is “get a job in Mobil”; the “sowing” is the going through the university studying Chemical Engineering, gathering information about the test format and the interview process, visiting and talking to Mobil Staffs that you want to be like, reading about Mobil and their History, etc; “harvesting” is another labor altogether where you go for the recruitment exercise when you are ripe enough. The key word is ripe enough.

The intention is the most difficult part to achieve; it is the step that leads to sowing. To fully decide you want to do something without doubting that you can get it done. It is referred to as singleness of purpose. Questions and statements like these are deterrent to complete intentions: “Is this goal possible?” “Well, I am going to try this and see if it works out; hope it does?” “There is really nothing wrong with trying this out, if it works out, I can get what I want.” As long as you are not totally committed, you will have what manufactures call the hidden factory, fear takes the position of faith. Dare’s First Class may come from the fear of not losing out rather than faith for joining the Mobil team.

Whenever your intentions are divided, it affects the outcome of the manifestation. Your manifestation may also take time based on your ability to do a proper job on your sowing and harvesting. When Akin said I wanted to work with Mobil Producing Nigeria, he defined accurately where he was going – not Mobil Oil, not Mobil USA. He said I wanted to work with Mobil Producing Nigeria. He, then asked himself what where the prerequisite – 5 years of undergraduate program in selected Engineering courses with at least a second class upper and some other requisite skill like passing an aptitude test. He knew it was a challenge and decided to go with it.

Dare on the other hand, may not be fully committed; his intentions are diverted. He believes that Nigeria is corrupt and nepotism is high which will hinder his getting into Mobil. He is thinking of going for his Masters if it does not work out and he heard that he needed a First Class to get a scholarship so he strive to get a First Class. Akin on the hand was only focused on getting into Mobil; that was all he dreamt about. Anytime Dare brought up the issue of Masters, he listened but his heart was not there; all he wanted was to get to work with Mobil. It’s not that Akin did not have a plan B; he did but his heart was largely with Mobil so it was easier for him to sow and harvest according.

Now, these examples of intention, sowing, reaping and manifestation happen in a normal situation but there definitely exceptions to the rule. It is possible for Dare not to be fully committed and still get to work with Mobil; this I will definitely explain. In the field of psychology, there is something called the “wild oat concept”; this is the ability for a human being to be multitalented. This may appear good from outside especially when you realize the person really gets what he or she partakes in. The flip side to this “wild oat personality” is that he/she is never contented; he will always aspire for another thing from what he is currently doing thinking the grass is greener on the other side.

In the light of the new concept above, Dare can get to work in Mobil though he is not fully committed intentionally but he will never be happy there. Contentment, the Bible says, comes with great gain. Dare could be multitalented, exception and can get whatever job he chooses but he will never have a holistic approach to successful living. While he is in Mobil Producing, he is thinking of a PhD program and has a sense of being in the wrong environment. Akin will always surpass him in the Mobil environment because his heart will be fully committed to it. The Bible puts it simply: “when the eye is single, the body is filled with light.”

It is those with the singleness of purpose that eventually become successful. They are happy with whatever environ they find themselves though their counterparts may have far more money than them; they are the ones that truly inspire the world around them. They easily become an icon, a model and a reference frame for success. Dare may be working with Mobil and can even be a grade A staff but it is Akin that will be churning out the inventions that will lead Mobil to greater heights. Dare may have the capacity to churn out inventions but his energy is divided between Mobil and the PhD program so he is constantly in a state of frustration and envy.

“Anyone who thinks money will make him happy hasn’t got money; happy is harder than money.” – A billionaire film producer.

“Money doesn’t make you happy. Last year I earned $40 million dollars; this year I earned $50 million dollars. I am not any happier” – Arnold Schwarzenegger, Actor and Politician.

Remember the time it takes manifestation to show up is based on your attitude and aptitude towards the sowing and reaping period but your intentions must be very clear. This is yet another old secret that has been imprinted in books but has been implemented by few. This is a SIX SIGMA breakthrough strategy…….