If you’re from the corporate world you might have heard of the Six Sigma quality management methodology or the acronym DMAIC blah blah but even if you haven’t, no worries. This is just a tarot spread inspired by Six Sigma principles and that process flow of D (Define), M (Measure), A (Analyze), I (Improve), and C (Control).

This card reading method (it’s workable with an oracle deck, not just tarot) is less in the space of mysticism or divination, and more in the space of pragmatism and driving you to be a more creative and critical thinker.

Card 1. DEFINE. The problem, or opportunity for improvement.

• “Present Situation” – This card helps you to define the problem and see the key opportunity for improving the status quo.
• This card is also expressive of the voice, perspective, and character disposition of the Querent.
• What does Card 1 tell you about the Querent’s needs and expectations?

Card 2. MEASURE. Characterizing the current performance record.

• “Past History” – This card expresses the past that led to the present situation. This is the sequence of events, decisions, and contributing factors that culminated in the present situation.
• Read Card 2 as explanatory of why the Querent is experiencing Card 1 and the history of the problem.
• Card 2 describes how and why the problem developed over time.

Card 3. ANALYZE. Root cause of the problem or current inefficiency.

• While Card 2 is about the past, Card 3 is about the foundation that the Querent is standing on.
• What does Card 3 tell you about the underlying, fundamental reason for why the problem (Card 1) exists?
• While Card 2 will be more of a narrative summarizing multiple contributing factors over time, here Card 3 conveys a targeted, single root cause deeply embedded in the process, system, or Querent’s nature.
• Card 3 is the primary driver of the problem.

Card 4. IMPROVE. The solution to the problem; how to address that root cause.

• Card 4 tells you how to optimize the Querent’s workflow process.
• Card 4 offers insight into how to prevent future errors.
• Use Card 4 as a jumping off point to generate and evaluate solutions to the problem.
• What pilot program does Card 4 characterize and present for the Querent to implement?

Card 5. CONTROL. How to sustain the improvement track; call to action.

• Card 5 is about how to ensure sustainability of success, so that the solution (Card 4) has long-lasting impact.
• What is the key change that the Querent must embed and integrate as habit?
• Interpret Card 5 as offering insight into the changes and new procedures recommended for Querent to implement.
• Card 5 is the call to action, what needs to change to the Querent’s past and present status of operating procedure.
• This is the training, education, and/or new habits that Querent needs to pursue.

This blog post is going to go up in tandem with a newsletter I’m sending out about tarot experts doing corporate speaking events. (It’s going to be titled “Why Aren’t Tarot Experts Doing Corporate Speaking Engagements?“)

As an addendum to what I say in that newsletter, if you do corporate speaking events or engagements and a tarot deck is being supplied to all employees in attendance, the easiest approach to a curated exercise is to make sure the deck comes with a very practical LWB or guidebook in the box. It’s going to make your job as a workshop leader much easier, since presumably most in attendance will have never handled a tarot deck before.

Personally, I find that SKT’s LWB does a pretty good job at presenting self-reflection prompts, providing the practical insights that would be useful reference for a total beginner.

You can download a PDF of that LWB here. And if after you’ve read that newsletter I’m referring to in this blog post you do want to pursue corporate speaking engagements, then you are totally free to pull card meaning text from my SKT LWB, rephrase it, and put together a printable hand-out for your event. You’d have to strip out all my woo language from the LWB of course, but I personally think there’s a lot there that would make your job as the tarot workshop facilitator much easier. Extracting just the card meanings section and adding whatever you want to add to such a hand-out, it’d only be about 10 – 15 printable pages, so totally doable. =)