The Five Whys of Problem Solving
Move beyond treating symptoms and start solving problems at their root. This reflective practice introduces you to the 'Five Whys,' a powerful problem-solving technique developed at Toyota. By repeatedly asking 'Why?', you'll learn to drill down through layers of an issue to uncover its fundamental cause, enabling you to create more effective and lasting solutions.
The Quick Fix
Think of a problem that keeps coming back. Maybe it's the same conflict at work, repeating with different details. The missed deadline. The miscommunication. The thing that breaks down again three months after you fixed it. We've all been there—applying the same solutions, wondering why nothing sticks. Here's what we do: we see smoke and we grab water. We see a symptom and we treat it. Someone's late to a meeting, so we send a reminder. The reminder doesn't work, so we send two reminders. Still doesn't work, so we schedule an earlier time. Round and round. It's not that we're careless. It's that we're busy. And when you're busy, the fastest solution feels like the best solution. Fix what's visible. Move on. Keep the engine running. But some problems won't stay fixed. They return wearing different faces. And each time they come back, we're a little more frustrated, a little more resigned, wondering if this is just how things are. What if the problem isn't the problem? What if what we're treating is only the surface?