As I have said many times before, Lean Six Sigma is a management strategy and must be understood by everyone in the organization. It is not enough that a few people get trained as Black Belts or Green Belts and then have sponsors and champions that do not understand their roles in project selection and tollgate reviews.
An overall training system for each of the Lean Six Sigma roles is a key element of the deployment plan. A training schedule for the initial wave of Black Belts is needed at launch. As more people in various roles are involved, new employees hired, and advanced training is needed, a functioning training system will need to be developed. A well thought out system that identifies all the training needs of all the roles, and an ongoing system to continuously satisfy these needs must be included.
To ensure your Lean Six Sigma initiative is ongoing and sustainable, make sure everyone involved in your organization understands their role in the process and gets the proper training.