Unraveling Mysteries: The 5 Whys Technique

Unlocking Solutions, Uncovering Secrets, and Navigating the Depths of Problem-Solving

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Many years ago, I attended a leadership training course for my employer. During one memorable session, we started talking about RCAs. That’s “Root Cause Analysis” for those of you who, like me, are acronym-challenged. I despise the overuse of acronyms, but that is a rant for another time.

During this session, the facilitator told us a story about a maintenance problem with the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC.

It’s been more than a decade since I first heard this story, and I may have gotten some of the details wrong. In researching this topic for this article, I stumbled upon two different versions, each offering a compelling narrative that illustrates the use of this problem-solving approach. While I cannot ascertain which version is true, both serve as powerful illustrations of the 5 Whys method in action.

The Power of the 5 Whys Technique

So, jumping right in. Have you heard of the 5 Whys technique? It’s a simple yet potent problem-solving method that help you get to the root cause of an issue by repeatedly asking “why” five times. Originating from the Toyota Production System in the 1930s, this approach has…