Last week I talked about what a “real root cause” actually is, but I didn’t say much about how to find them. Maybe a couple more words would be helpful.
There are several tools you can use to dig out a root cause from under a big pile of symptoms. The simplest one is called a “Five-why analysis,” and you can think of it as “problem-solving by a bright, persistent six-year-old.”
It all starts when something goes wrong. Somebody asks “Why?” and you give an answer.
“Yes, but why did that happen?”
Another answer.
“Yes, but why did that happen?”
A third answer.
“But Daddy, why did that happen??”
And so on. Just remember — six-year-olds never, ever get tired of this game.
The system is called “5-Why” but there is no law that you have to repeat the question “Why?” exactly five times. Maybe you can do it with fewer repetitions; sometimes it takes a lot more. But you keep at it until you get to a cause that is fundamental and actionable.
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