Try the 5 Whys to Solve a Tricky Problem

Quick Win

Getting to the root cause of a problem can help you solve it. With the Five Whys, you keep asking questions until you get to the crux.

Try This Today

• State the problem in simple form, for example: “I never have fresh fruits or veggies in the house.”
• Ask the first why — and answer with the most obvious reason. Why don’t you have fruits and vegetables in the house? “I keep missing the weekend farmers market.”
• Ask the second why. The answer might be, “I’m not getting to the market because I’m sleeping late on Saturdays.”
• Keep going. Ask why three more times — or however many times you need to get to the root cause of the problem. Answers might unfold as follows: “I’m oversleeping on Saturdays because I’m staying up late on Friday nights; I’m staying up late on Friday nights because I’m planning for a big family celebration; I’m handling all the planning because I have not asked anyone for help.”
• Find your solution. In this example, asking a family member for help is likely to have a positive ripple effect on sleep, going to the farmer’s market and, ultimately, having fresh produce in the house.

Why

Young children may be onto something with their perpetual questions! The 5 Whys method, attributed to the architects of Toyota’s renowned production system, is a deceptively simple strategy that seeks to get to the root cause of a problem. It’s used by businesses and organizations, but anyone can try it to make headway on day-to-day dilemmas or bigger issues.