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> Six-Sigma Black Belt I'm so triggered by this phrase. The worst (to work for and performing) company I was at hired SSBBs like crazy and none of them really

> Six-Sigma Black Belt I'm so triggered by this phrase. The worst (to work for and performing) company I was at hired SSBBs like crazy and none of them really did anything or made a damn bit of difference, but if you took the courses you were fast-tracked for success as far as promotions went.

CobaltFire 3y ago
I was not at all popular among my "peers" in that world. I had too much common sense, and didn't make changes just to make changes. I was extremely effective, but since I didn't play by the rules I was ostracized internally. That said, it did give me the opportunity to get the hell out of that community and back into IT/CyberSec. In all honesty, there are absolutely good concepts and tools in that world. The issue is that the people who gravitate to that world have no ability to provide any value themselves so don't actually understand how to USE those tools properly. Everything is a nail when all you have is an ENTIRE TOOLBOX.
syntaxing 3y ago
It’s interesting because I found Mech design engineers with green belts to usually be really sharp. I only met like one black belt design engineer and he pivoted careers a decade ago. But most black belts I met in QA were managers. Most of the technicians that did the work weren’t certified but lived and breathed the products for decades.
- busterarm 3y ago
  In that industry it makes sense. We were a services platform -- basically a massive, distributed call center.
- CobaltFire 3y ago
  My experience was that the tools are absolutely useful. Green Belts are those who learned the tools, but stayed at their day job. Black Belts are when you pivot into doing it full time. Much like people who underperform in technical fields often pivot to Management, you see the same in the pivot to Process Improvement. That creates the issue of the lowest performers at the actual job being the ones most inclined to pivot into that position. There are always good ones (I'm biased, but think I was). The issue is that they are a relative rarity due to those (and I'm sure other) factors.
  - syntaxing 3y ago
    The pivot part rings so true, especially “Engineering Services”, aka process and infrastructure control. They often lead the engineering change committee too. I shudder just recalling those meetings.
  - beernet 3y ago
    > Much like people who underperform in technical fields often pivot to Management This can't be serious...Not sure if jealousy or just regular hubris.
    - CobaltFire 3y ago
      Neither, it’s been my current lived experience. That said, it’s anecdotal at best; I don’t pretend to have a statistical sample. I also noted that there are exceptions. I spent a significant amount of time in management and Process Improvement, so I’m speaking from experience of the inside of those within my section of the DOD.
azeemba 3y ago
I thought 30 Rock made up the term. Had no idea it was a real thing.

CobaltFire 3y ago

I was not at all popular among my "peers" in that world. I had too much common sense, and didn't make changes just to make changes. I was extremely effective, but since I didn't play by the rules I was ostracized internally. That said, it did give me the opportunity to get the hell out of that community and back into IT/CyberSec. In all honesty, there are absolutely good concepts and tools in that world. The issue is that the people who gravitate to that world have no ability to provide any value themselves so don't actually understand how to USE those tools properly. Everything is a nail when all you have is an ENTIRE TOOLBOX.

syntaxing 3y ago

It’s interesting because I found Mech design engineers with green belts to usually be really sharp. I only met like one black belt design engineer and he pivoted careers a decade ago. But most black belts I met in QA were managers. Most of the technicians that did the work weren’t certified but lived and breathed the products for decades.

busterarm 3y ago
In that industry it makes sense. We were a services platform -- basically a massive, distributed call center.
CobaltFire 3y ago
My experience was that the tools are absolutely useful. Green Belts are those who learned the tools, but stayed at their day job. Black Belts are when you pivot into doing it full time. Much like people who underperform in technical fields often pivot to Management, you see the same in the pivot to Process Improvement. That creates the issue of the lowest performers at the actual job being the ones most inclined to pivot into that position. There are always good ones (I'm biased, but think I was). The issue is that they are a relative rarity due to those (and I'm sure other) factors.
- syntaxing 3y ago
  The pivot part rings so true, especially “Engineering Services”, aka process and infrastructure control. They often lead the engineering change committee too. I shudder just recalling those meetings.
- beernet 3y ago
  > Much like people who underperform in technical fields often pivot to Management This can't be serious...Not sure if jealousy or just regular hubris.
  - CobaltFire 3y ago
    Neither, it’s been my current lived experience. That said, it’s anecdotal at best; I don’t pretend to have a statistical sample. I also noted that there are exceptions. I spent a significant amount of time in management and Process Improvement, so I’m speaking from experience of the inside of those within my section of the DOD.

azeemba 3y ago

I thought 30 Rock made up the term. Had no idea it was a real thing.