CI SL Certification

What are the four disciplines of the NYL CI Management System?

Connect; Deliver; Enable; Discover

How does the Connect discipline link strategy to team goals?

Connects strategy with goals to help people understand their role in the organization and why it matters.

What business result dimensions are used on the Balanced Scorecard?

Productivity (Efficiency); Quality (Effectiveness); Customer Experience; Employee Engagement.

List the CI Principles aligned with Shingo in the organizational alignment category

Create customer value;

Create constancy of purpose;

Think systemically.

List the CI Principles aligned with Shingo in the continuous improvement category

Seek perfection;

Focus on the process;

Adopt scientific thinking;

Improve flow and sequence (pull & flow);

Quality assurance at source.

List the CI Principles aligned with Shingo in the cultural enablers category

Lead with humility;

Respect each individual.

Name the 14 CI tools used to build CI behaviors.

Change Story; Cascaded Metrics; Huddles; Process Confirmations; CI Engagement Index; Skills Matrix; Week in the Life Of (WILO); Voice of the Customer; Demand and Capacity Management; Coaching; Weekly PS; Root Cause Problem-Solving; Visual Boards; Standard Work.

What does 'Create constancy of purpose' mean within CI?

Maintain a consistent long-term direction and help employees understand how their work contributes to shared organizational goals.

Which CI principle emphasizes verification at the point of work?

Quality assurance at source.

How do CI principles reinforce the four disciplines?

The 10 CI Principles are the foundation of the CI Management System. The four disciplines apply those principles and are supported by the 14 CI tools.

What is the role of the CI Engagement Index?

The CI Engagement Index measures employee engagement with CI practices and helps leaders identify opportunities to strengthen CI adoption and participation.

It assesses four dimensions:

• Adoption

• Confidence

• Participation

• Perceived Value

Leaders use the results to identify engagement gaps, develop improvement actions, and monitor progress.

Give one example of 'Think systemically' in a service process.

Consider the end-to-end process and upstream/downstream impacts before implementing a process change. (in a claims service org, intake using “&“ instead of “and” to boost productivity)

List the six RCPS steps in order.

Identify Problem; Find Root Cause; Develop Solutions; Create & Execute Action Plan; Evaluate Results; Sustain.

Which tools can you use to identify root causes?

5 Whys; Issue Trees; Fishbone Diagrams.

What is the purpose of the Evaluate Results step?

Determine if the solution was effective in improving against business metrics.

How do you prioritize potential solutions in RCPS?

Identify a list of potential solutions and prioritize which option to test.

What is the difference between symptoms and root causes?

Root Cause Analysis identifies the underlying causes rather than treating symptoms.

Provide an example of using 5 Whys for a delay problem.

• Team members are unhappy.

• Work is not collaborative.

• No defined approach to the work.

• Roles, responsibilities, and decision ownership are undefined.

• The team was newly formed without transition/support from leadership.

How does the Target Condition relate to RCPS?

RCPS moves the Current State toward the Target Condition. Once reached, reset the Target Condition.

What outputs should be documented after a pilot?

• Results: Monitor whether the solution improved the relevant business metrics.

• Effectiveness: Evaluate whether the solution addressed the problem.

• Sustainment: Determine how improvements will be maintained and monitored.

• Sharing: Identify opportunities to share successful solutions across teams.

How do you ensure sustainment post-implementation?

Determine how to sustain solutions; monitor results; share solutions across teams.

Which Balanced Scorecard dimensions might RCPS improvements affect?

Productivity; Quality; Customer Experience; Employee Engagement.

List the 8 forms of waste.

Waiting; Inventory; Over production; Over processing; Motion; Transportation; Rework; Intellect.

What does ECRS stand for?

Eliminate; Combine; Rearrange; Simplify.

What is the purpose of each ECRS step?

Eliminate–Identify steps that do not add value and eliminate them.

Combine–Combine two or more steps into one when we cannot eliminate them.

Rearrange–Change the position of a step and the flow of work.

Simplify–Make a step easier or take shorter time to complete.

When is a Histogram more appropriate than a Control Chart?

Histogram: distribution/variability. Control Chart: process stability.

What problem does a Control Chart help you detect?

Whether a process is stable and in control; distinguishes common vs. special cause variation.

When should you conduct a Gauge R&R?

When the reliability of a measurement system needs to be assessed. Repeatability means the same person repeatedly measures the same item using the same measurement system. Reproducibility means different people measure the same item using the same measurement system.

What is Process Capability Analysis used for?

Determine how well a process meets specified limits by evaluating inherent variability.

When is FMEA most useful?

Design phase; significant changes; quality/reliability issues; proactively address risks.

How does ANOVA assist in process analysis?

ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) assists process analysis by simultaneously comparing performance means across three or more operational groups or conditions.

Determines whether variations are statistically significant or random noise.

What are Common Cause vs. Special Cause variation?

Common Cause is natural variation inherent in the normal operation of a process. Special Cause is variation resulting from an identifiable, unusual factor that warrants investigation.

What information is typically captured in a Value Stream Map data box?

⚠ Validation: C/T (Cycle Time); # People; Shifts.

What are the four elements of trust?

Credibility; Reliability; Professional Intimacy; Self-orientation.

Name the four influencing quadrants.

Role Modeling; Fostering Understanding & Conviction; Developing Talent & Skills; Reinforcing With Formal Mechanisms.

List three influencing tactics and when to use them.

Logical Persuading–facts/data;

Consulting–seek input;

Modeling–demonstrate desired behavior.

What does EPIC stand for?

• Empathy – Put yourself in the other person's shoes; understand how they feel and what is at stake.

• Purpose – Define the purpose, including their needs and yours.

• Insight – Articulate the key idea and storyline.

• Conversation – Plan and orchestrate a high-impact conversation, including questions and next steps.

What are the leader's three critical communications roles?

Translator; Motivator; Responder.

Explain the SBI feedback model.

Component	What it means
Situation	Describe the specific situation, including when and where it happened.
Behavior	Describe the observable behavior without making assumptions.
Impact	Explain how that behavior affected others or the outcome.

How can a Skills Matrix be used during coaching?

• Identify gaps between required skills and current proficiency.

• Guide development and cross-training.

• Identify skill coverage risks.

• Support development and deployment decisions.

What steps are involved in Process Confirmations?

Prepare; Observe; Document; Provide feedback; Reflect / Follow up.

How does the Change Curve inform leadership actions?

Identify where someone is on the Change Curve so you can help them progress through change.

The four stages are Denial, Resistance, Exploration, and Commitment.

Define Professional Intimacy and why it matters.

Professional Intimacy means balancing task-driven results with genuine human connection.

It matters because intentional relationship-building strengthens trust, reduces defensiveness, and creates psychological safety, allowing employees to communicate openly and participate in continuous improvement.

Map an RCPS improvement to Balanced Scorecard outcomes.

Productivity - faster turnaround time, higher volume produced Quality - fewer defects Customer Experience - higher VOC scores Employee Engagement - higher CIEI score

Choose the best tool to start when many potential causes exist.

Fishbone Diagram.

Select a tool sequence to validate data integrity, then analyze process stability.

Gauge R&R → Control Chart.

Draft a mini Change Story using EPIC.

Empathy - The team was frustrated because roles and decision ownership were unclear.

Purpose - Create clarity so the team can collaborate more effectively.

Insight - RCPS identified unclear roles as the root cause. Defining responsibilities improved teamwork and reduced confusion.

Conversation - What questions do you have, and what support do you need to be successful in your role?

Identify the waste most likely causing repeated handoffs.

Transportation, because repeated handoffs create unnecessary movement of work through the process, increasing opportunities for delays and errors.

Propose an ECRS approach to reduce a queue backlog.

• Eliminate non-value-added steps that increase queue time.

• Combine steps that can be completed together to reduce handoffs.

• Rearrange the sequence so work flows more efficiently and reduces waiting.

• Simplify the remaining steps to shorten processing time.

Design a quick VSM workshop agenda using the eight steps.

Draw customer/company/suppliers;

Document problem & demand;

Draw processes/data boxes;

Determine metrics;

Map inventory;

Document flows;

Do calculations;

Identify opportunities.

Pick the right chart to display service time distribution.

Histogram.

Explain how coaching with Kata questions reinforces target conditions.

Kata coaching helps employees progress toward target conditions by establishing the current and target conditions, identifying obstacles, agreeing on the next action, and following up on progress and learning.

Link a CI principle to an influencing quadrant with an example.

Lead with Humility → Role Modeling
A leader demonstrates humility by participating in RCPS sessions, listening to employee ideas, and asking questions instead of providing all the answers. By modeling the desired behavior, others are encouraged to adopt the same approach.

List the 10 CI Principles aligned with Shingo (grouped by category).

Cultural Enablers: Lead with humility; Respect each individual.

Continuous Improvement: Seek perfection; Focus on the process; Adopt scientific thinking; Improve flow and sequence (pull & flow); Quality assurance at source.

Organizational Alignment: Create customer value; Create constancy of purpose; Think systemically.

Explain how the "Discover" discipline supports Continuous Improvement.

Discover identifies and solves problems at all levels in the organization to create better ways of working, increase capacity, and reduce costs.

What does MECE stand for, and how does it help structure problems?

Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive. Mutually Exclusive means categories do not overlap. Collectively Exhaustive means all relevant possibilities are covered. MECE helps organize problems without duplication or gaps.

What are the four layers of the Pyramid Communication Model?

Governing Thought → Key Points → Supporting Arguments → Data / Analysis. The model structures a message from the main conclusion to supporting evidence. MECE helps ensure supporting points are distinct and collectively cover the message.

What are the four Change Curve stages, and what happens to energy and motivation?

Denial → Resistance → Exploration → Commitment. Energy and motivation generally decline through Denial and Resistance, then recover during Exploration and rise toward Commitment. Leaders identify a person's stage to help them progress.

What is the Translator role in leadership communication?

The Translator helps employees understand organizational direction by explaining what company strategy and change mean for their team and individual work.

What is the Responder role in leadership communication?

The Responder is one of NYL's three critical leadership communication roles. Its precise responsibilities need confirmation from the NYL leadership communications slide before memorizing a fuller definition.

What is a Challenge Condition, and how does it relate to Target Conditions?

Working interpretation: A Challenge Condition is the broader, ambitious improvement objective. Target Conditions are nearer-term conditions pursued along the way. The exact NYL definition has not yet been verified in the supplied references.

What is Quartile Analysis, and how can it help identify outliers?

Quartile Analysis divides ordered observations into four equal groups, each containing 25% of the data. It helps describe distribution, compare performance, and identify unusually high or low observations for investigation.

How does a leader reinforce desired behaviors using formal mechanisms?

Use established management routines, performance measures, or recognition mechanisms to encourage and sustain desired behaviors. For example, recognize an employee's demonstrated progress toward a goal through a formal recognition program.