The 5 Whys: An Effective Problem-Solving Method
On Monday morning, your child says, “I can’t go to school today; my stomach hurts.” Do you go straight to the hospital, or do you ask them some questions to find out what’s causing their stomach ache? The latter, I’m guessing. Are they stressed about an exam? Are they being bullied? Did they have a fight with a friend?
This example might seem trivial at first glance, but it’s easy to apply it to the workplace.
Every company faces challenges at some point: production delays, order preparation errors, long wait times on the phone with customer service… Our first instinct is to find a solution to the problem. Unfortunately, the initial problem often masks an underlying cause. If we don’t find it, the problem will keep reappearing in different forms.
With the 5 Whys method, members of a work team look at the root cause of a problem to find an effective, lasting solution. What is the 5 Whys approach, exactly? Read on to find out!
The origin of the 5 Whys
Japanese manufacturer Sakichi Toyoda, the creator of the Toyota Production System, was the one who first came up with the 5 Whys, a method that has become one of the fundamental aspects of the LEAN approach.
What does the method involve? It’s really simple—every time a problem comes up, ask 5 successive questions starting with “why.” That way, the true cause of the problem and its solution become obvious.
You might be surprised to find that the real cause hadn’t even crossed your mind at first. That’s the case in the following example.
Problem:
The email about your latest software update was sent to your customers two weeks late.
Why No. 1: Why didn’t we send the email on time?
Because the update wasn’t done on schedule.
Why No. 2: Why wasn’t the update done on schedule?
Because the developers were still working on new features.
Why No. 3: Why were developers still working on new features?
Because the new developer needed to familiarize themselves with the Agile method, which we prefer for project management.
Why No. 4: Why wasn’t the new developer familiar with the Agile method?
Because they hadn’t been trained.
Why No. 5: Why weren’t they trained in the Agile method?
Because the director of product development believes that new employees don’t need formal training in the Agile method, but should learn it on the job.
Who would have thought that the first “why” would lead to that root cause? Rather unexpected, isn’t it?
Please note the following important clarifications
First note: Five is the average number of times you have to ask “why” before getting a satisfactory answer. You can ask the question as much as necessary to find the real cause of your problem.
Second note: There may be more than one possible answer to Why#5: No. 1. In that case, each answer should be subjected to its own analysis of the 5 Whys.
The 5 Whys method in practice
The 5 Whys method involves three simple steps. Let’s look at them together.
1. Build a team
Gather people who are familiar with the intricacies of the problem that needs to be solved or the process that needs to be improved. Often, employees on the ground are best placed to be part of the team. Appoint someone to facilitate and ensure that the team focuses on finding effective, lasting solutions.
2. Define the problem
Take a step back and define the problem in a succinct, precise way. For example:
- Team A isn’t reaching its response time targets.
- Version B of the software has caused too many failures.
Next, write your problem statement on a whiteboard or a sticky note(Post-it)leaving enough space around it to answer the 5 “why” questions.
3. Ask your 5 whys
The first “why” is always the easiest, since it stems directly from the problem that has been defined:
- Why can’t team A meet its response time targets?
- Why has version B of the software caused so many failures?
Formulating the question is easy; answering it requires careful thought. Look for answers based on facts. Focus on explanations (what actually happened) rather than conjecture (what could have happened).
In short, the 5 Whys method is one of the best tools for problem-solving. The Bernard Gagnon Group team highly recommends the method to its clients who are pursuing continuous improvement with the LEAN approach.
