The Five Whys for Powerful Problem-Solving

When trying to find out what people really believe, productivity gurus and therapists will often
use a technique called the 'five whys.' Here you ask the question 'why' five times to uncover
what's at the root of it. For instance then, if someone says he wants to be a rock star, asking
him the question 'why' five times might tell you something insightful about his personality. It may
be he doesn't want to be a rock star but instead desires adulation from the masses – in which
case there are many more potential satisfying career options.
This technique can also be powerful to solve problems. Read on and we'll look at some of the
best ways you can solve your problems by simply asking 'why' five times.
Short-Term Problems
In the short term, asking why can often yield answers that you may otherwise have overlooked.
For instance, if you're stressed you'll fail your university course, you might ask yourself 'why'
and the answer may be 'because I don't have enough time to complete my dissertation.' You
might ask why again and learn it's because you have too many other things to do this week. Ask
yourself why again and you might say that it's because you committed to go to Karate twice a
week with Joe.
Sounds like you need to talk to Joe…
Note that 'five' is an arbitrary number: often you'll find an answer before you need to go that
deep.
Long-Term Solutions
Better yet though, asking why can be useful for preventing problems from occurring again and
for plugging leaks. This can be useful when looking retrospectively at past problems.
In a business setting for instance, you may have lost a client. Five whys might go like this:
 Because you handed in work late
 Because you were waiting for the report
 Because the printer wasn't working
 Because you were low on printer ink
 Because you didn't order enough
In this case asking why five times shows a big problem could potentially have been prevented
by ordering enough ink – a very small thing really. Now you know to increase your budget for ink
and that the overhead is worth it for the ROI.
Next time you have a problem or have had a problem then… just ask why. Then keep doing it!