The 5 Whys is a brilliantly simple approach to getting to the bottom of an issue. It starts with a statement, which is followed by the question, “Why?” Once it is answered, “Why” is asked again and again until the heart of the issue is uncovered. “Why” is asked as many times as necessary, but five seems to be a lucky number.
We’ll look at some examples in a minute, but the idea is to get to the drivers behind the goals. You don’t necessarily change your goals as a result of the technique, but you will be able to more effectively communicate intent. When everyone understands why achieving certain objectives is important, engagement is increased and better decision making is possible. The process also reveals the consequence of failure to meet the goal.
Let’s look at a personal and a business example.
Suddenly, this weight loss goal isn’t just about looking better in the mirror. It’s about preserving independence, something that’s a lot more meaningful and pressing.
An organization might start with a goal like:
At this point you’re probably thinking. Duh. Of course every company wants to be profitable. Do you really need to ask why? It’s a fair point, but think about a few possible answers.
"We want to be profitable because we are running out of capital and need to become profitable to survive."
"We want to be profitable to provide returns to shareholders."
"We want to be profitable so that we can reinvest in the company."
These are all great reasons, but each says something a little bit different about the direction of the company. There are likely small decisions being made every day that would be improved by clarity around the reason for the revenue objective.
When problem solving or goal setting, the 5 Whys is a great way to dig deeply enough to find the crux of the matter.