Five Whys
5 Whys is a root cause analysis tool for helping teams quickly get to causes of an issue before developing solutions.
✓ Created by former KPMG & McKinsey consultants
What You'll Achieve with the Five Whys Workshop
Real outcomes that transform your team
Achieve a comprehensive understanding of root causes.
Foster team engagement and buy-in during problem-solving.
Develop targeted and sustainable solutions.
When to Use the Five Whys Workshop
Perfect for these situations and team challenges
When a team faces a complex issue that needs detailed analysis.
Before implementing solutions to ensure root causes are understood.
How the Five Whys Workshop Works
A step-by-step breakdown of the workshop process
1Step 1: State the challenge
The Facilitator writes a concise statement of the problem on the left side of the paper. For example, “Revenue budgets not balanced.”
2Step 2: Ask 'Why?'
Move one step to the right and ask: “Why is that?” Capture responses as short, clear phrases, like “Costs are too high” or “Income is too low.”
3Step 3: Continue asking 'Why?'
For each answer, ask “Why?” again and record the next level of causes, digging deeper into the issue.
4Step 4: Go deeper
Key Topics Covered in the Five Whys Workshop
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Do it Yourself
Perfect for facilitators, leaders and managers
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