One of the biggest issues I see in leadership is the rush to fix the problem. Does this sound familiar? Something goes wrong. You find a solution to fix the problem and get into action. Then the problem happens again, days, weeks or sometimes months after. The fix was simply a sticking plaster. It didn't fix the root cause of the problem.
How it Works
The 5 Whys is a technique used in the analyse phase of the Six Sigma DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control) methodology. It is so simple and will allow you to quickly get beyond the surface level problem. You shouldn't underestimate the effectiveness of this stage - you may well get to the bottom of the problem, as shown in the case study below.
Start with posing a problem statement and then ask, ‘Why has this happened?’ Then whatever the answer is, ask why again, repeating the process 5 times until you get to the root of the problem.
A case study
Using the 5 Whys
The leadership team of an engineering company wanted to introduce harsher measures on absenteeism and lateness because they felt that timeliness was slipping, and it was having a direct impact on business performance. I discovered that a manager had challenged an operative about his timekeeping, and he had challenged back that other teams were able to work when they wanted. The manager then felt powerless and requested harsher penalties; basically, he wanted a bigger stick to enforce his rule. The human resources director shared data on timekeeping and didn’t find any particular trends or inconsistencies, but was still being pressurised to fix the problem, only she didn’t know what it was, so she reached out to me for help. Straightaway I went into diagnosis mode. I engaged all staff in healthy conflict to mine for the truth of the matter. We agreed the rules of engagement for healthy conflict, set a clear topic and asked the 5 Whys of the problem.
There was a problem with attendance – WHY?
Because people didn’t care whether they turned up on time – WHY?
Because nothing happened if they were late – WHY?
Because managers weren’t managing the behaviour or problem – WHY?
Because they didn’t know how to – WHY?
Because they hadn’t been trained to.
STEP 1: The 5 Whys are so simple to do. You name the topic or the problem and simply ask, ‘Why is this happening?’
STEP 2: Write down the answer and then ask ‘Why?’ and repeat the process until you get to the real issue. I have also done this in large groups where I have asked each group to do their own 5 Whys on the same topic. Generally, they come to the same root cause, but you will also gain rich insight into other blockers and issues table to table. Gather this data and use it to inform your strategy.
Another great idea is reverse thinking.
Name the problem and list all of the ways you could make it worse the reverse it.
Example: Your meetings are unproductive and people miss deadlines. List all of the ways you can make the meetings more unproductive. Now reverse it. Invite the wrong people - invite the right people. Don't have and agenda - have an agenda. Leader does all of the talking - Leader listens. You get the idea?
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