The Black Belt and the Magic of Communication

Six Sigma team of 10 Black Belts completed 300 projects, realizing more than $10 million in benefits

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Learning to communicate with clarity, confidence and passion helped invigorate a Six Sigma program. Communication is not limited simply to presenting factual material; it also encompasses perception management, non-verbal skills and authentically connecting with the audience.

Through the creation of a more engaging communication strategy, the Six Sigma program at Ameriprise is being welcomed as never before. It has realized significant gains in the number of:

- Completed projects.
- Process improvement ideas submitted to the intake mailbox.
- Associates who proactively seek and obtain Kaizen certification.
- Requests for help from business partners outside their business unit.
- Exposure opportunities, e.g., Kaizen being featured at a company town hall event.
- Employees interested in becoming full-time Black Belts.

Through the creation of a more engaging communication strategy, the Six Sigma program at Ameriprise is being welcomed as never before. It has realized significant gains in the number of:

7 Tips for Engaging Presentations
1. Replace definitions with meaningful ideas
2. Limit charts and graphs
3. Insert pictures to tell a story leaders can relate to
4. Make your opening and closing connect to your theme
5. Cut your content by 50 percent
6. Be twice as energetic in your nonverbal delivery style
7. What do you want your audience to do? Tell them!

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