Why? But why?
Ever wanted to channel your inner toddler?
If so, this approach to diagnosing a problem will be a definite favourite.
The five whys approach comes out of root cause analysis, and can be applied anywhere you're trying to understand the underlying causes of an issue.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Simple to apply | Effort unpredictable |
| Quick to learn | Limited to diagnosis |
| Uses | Diagnosis, root cause analysis |
Here it is:
- Write down the problem, clearly (you can always precede this with talking to the duck)
- Ask why it happened, write down the answer
- Ask why that happened, write down the answer
- Ask why that happened, write down the answer
- Ask why that happened, write down the answer
- Ask why that happened, write down the answer
- Go and get a coffee
It is really simple, but anyone who's dealt with a child going through a why phase will know that it rapidly leads to either fury or a deep, deep explanation that forces you to reconsider your basic assumptions. Sometimes both.
With each why, a sincere answer needs to be attempted - none of them can just be dismissed. Discussion is fine, but this is one of those which absolutely requires a blame-free culture to work properly.
When to Use It
This technique is for diagnosis. When you've had an incident of any kind, running through the five whys is a great first step to getting to the root of the problem instead of trying to address a superficial cause.
It's also another generic technique, so you can apply it to any type of issue so long as you have the expertise in the room to work through the different layers of why.
How it Works
It relies on the attempt to give a sincere answer to work properly, but the point is to dig below the initial answer to uncover underlying causes. It is possible that after only a few whys the answer will come back that there isn't a deeper layer, and that's fine, but there are very few causes that can't ultimately be uncovered within five whys.
To use an over-used analogy, many problems are like an iceberg. If you only ask one why, you'll only get to the polar bear floating around on the top and miss the kraken sitting under the surface.