Ever been around that kid (or annoying adult) that asks “why” to everything you say? I was that kid, and still am today.
There is a great technique used to diagnose problems or investigate issues known as the “5 Whys”. It’s best explained with an example.
- The car will not start. (the problem)
- Why? – The battery is dead. (first why)
- Why? – The alternator is not functioning. (second why)
- Why? – The alternator belt has broken. (third why)
- Why? – The alternator belt was well beyond its useful service life and has never been replaced. (fourth why)
- Why? – I have not been maintaining my car according to the recommended service schedule. (fifth why, a root cause)
It seems silly but actually has a lot of practical applications. Just pick a random problem and apply the 5 whys.
- The economy is in shambles
- Why? – Because of a real estate bubble that popped. (first why)
- Why? – People couldn’t afford their payments. (second why)
- Why? – Interest rates that were fixed became variable. (third why)
- Why? – Their mortgages were sold to them that way. (fourth why)
- Why? – Mortgage brokers were able to place people into homes they couldn’t normally afford. (fifth why, a root cause)
This illustrates 2 points. The first is that the 5 whys can be used for a variety of situations. The second, and most important, is that while the 5 whys can help you come to a root cause, it is just that – ONE root cause. Not THE root cause, A root cause.
So give it a shot. Try it with something simple, or something complex. You may end up with a root cause in just 3, or it might take 6. Sometimes I end up in an endless loop between 2 whys. Practice makes perfect.
 By The Weakonomist |
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Why? Because The Stock-Selling Industry makes hundreds of millions of dollars when middle-class people come to believe that it’s a reasonable idea to put most of their retirement money into stocks even at times when stocks offer a poor long-term value proposition.
Great post and great tool! It actually comes from Lean Management methods and was made famous by Taiichi Ohno of Toyota.
A couple extra learning points: A) for each answer apply the 5whys. There can be more than one cause that needs to be addressed. B) the myth says 5 why’s is the average, but for your situation you may need to ask more or less times.