Principle of War #3 – Mass

Mass: Concentrate powers at a decisive time and place

1. Objective
2. Offensive
3. Mass
4. Maneuver
5. Intelligence
6. Concerted action
7. Unity of command
8. Simplicity
9. Security
10. Economy
11. Surprise
12. Exploitation

The ability to focus and concentrate is essential for success in any endeavor. We as Lean Six Sigma professionals often lead rapid improvement teams also known as a “Kaizen Blitz”. This is when we gather key people and resources to focus efforts on one objective. We mass our resources on a goal and see it through completion. Mass is the opposite of multi-tasking, a start to finish mentality.

A common Lean Six Sigma tool to help focus efforts for the biggest bang for your buck is the Pareto chart. Pareto highlights that typically 20% of causes have an 80% impact – essentially separating the vital few from the trivial many. Once Pareto shows us where the 20% greatest impact area is, we “Mass” our Kaizen efforts there.

Focus!