How To Find The Root Cause of A Problem – 5 Why’s

If you’re looking for a business turnaround strategy that will help you stop fighting fires, then this is it. In my career, failing businesses spend a lot of time chasing their tails and they feel that they are fighting the same issues. The result is that they are so exhausted from fighting the same battles and never think to try and find what caused the fire in the first place. You’d be surprised how many senior people I have coached who never seem to be able to do the obvious – find the root cause of the problem. In this post, I’m going to show you two tips on how to find the root cause of a problem. Ready? Let’s dive straight in.

Go 10,000ft

The first tip on how to find the route cause of a problem is to create space. In his book, ‘Getting Things Done’, author David Allen talks about the different levels at which we operate.

‘The Runway’ is 0ft. This is the operational floor. This is where the work actually happens. This is where you are sending emails, having meetings, on the phone etc. You are ‘doing the doing’. This is where most professionals spend their time. But it’s not necessarily where you should spend most of your time.

Going 10,000ft means you take an elevated approach. You take yourself off the Runway and look at things differently. This is where you assess things from an overall perspective. This is where strategy, planning and goal-setting lives.

When you are on the Runway, you are too caught up in fighting fires, being hounded by people who demand your attention. Your mind is too busy to think. By going 10,000ft you create room for your mind to think.

How to go 10,000ft

You need space. When I coach Directors and Senior Leadership teams, I advocate creating space. You may physically need to get off the Runway. I mean physically get off the floor or out of the office.

You need to get a space where you have no distractions. No pinging phones, no constant interruptions from colleagues, no Facebook notifications – nothing. Just you and your thoughts.

I have often advised professionals to do some of the following:

Get Up Early

In his bestseller, ‘The 5 am Club’, Robin Sharma talks about the magic of waking up early. 

“Own your morning. Elevate your life,” is the mantra of this book.

At 5 am, the world is asleep. There are no distractions. The most successful people practice waking up early and having time to think. 

Imagine that. Time to think…

Members of the 5 am Club do not check their phones, answer email or necessarily work straight away. We (yes, I am a member) tend to think, get centred, journal, practice gratitude. It helps to centre you.

Go To Starbucks

If you’re in the office and need time to think, then go to a coffee shop. I recommend Starbucks because it seems geared up for people to work in a nice environment.

Tell your boss that you’re going to Starbucks to so some important work and you’ll pick then up something on your way back. Which boss wouldn’t say, “Yes,” to that!

Eliminate Distractions

Whichever method you choose, you need to turn off your phone. I know you are probably squirming in your seat right now. You may be filled with a sense of dread or anxiety to be temporarily cut off from the online world. But trust me. You need to.

If you don’t turn it off, then put it on ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode. Put your phone somewhere out of reach. Leave it in the car or another room if you have to.

You need to resist the urge to look at your phone and get distracted whilst you go 10,000ft.

If you’re working on a laptop or tablet, do the same. Switch off apps like WhatsApp, social media and email. Close down your internet browser.

Now you’re ready to do some thinking and find the root cause.

How To Find The Root Cause Of The Problem

Once you are in a space, free of distraction you’re ready for the next tip on how to find the root cause of a problem.

Firstly get clear about the problem. It helps to write and articulate what the actual problem is.

This could be a reoccurring problem, it could be a relationship breakdown between colleagues, it could be an underperforming department.

Whatever the problem is, write it down.

The 5 Why’s

The 5 Why’s is a great technique on how to find the root cause of a problem. Essentially to get to the root problem you have to ask, “Why,” circa 5 times.

Let’s look at an example.

The Problem

I can’t get my work done because I am constantly interrupted by Jimmy.

1st Why

Why does Jimmy keep bothering me?

1st Answer

Because he’s useless.

2nd Why

Why is he useless?

2nd Answer

Because he can’t get the [X] job done to my standard

3rd Why

Why can’t he get the [X] job done to your standard?

3rd Answer

Because he doesn’t know how to do [X] job properly

4th Why

Why doesn’t he know how to do [X] job properly?

4th Answer

Because I haven’t shown him how to do it.

5th Why

Why haven’t you shown him how to do it?

5th Answer

Because I’ve not made time to train him. Therefore the answer is, I need to train Jimmy on [X]. If I train him and show him how to do [X] to my standard, then he will stop bothering me and I can focus on getting my work done.

Did you see that?

Usually, the 1st answer will be a ‘surface-level’ answer. In the above scenario, you would think that Jimmy is useless and no good at his job. When in fact, when we get to the root cause it’s not Jimmy’s fault at all. Jimmy is not to blame. You are!

Conclusion

So there you have it – how to find the root cause of a problem. By applying these tips, you will be able to get to the root of any problem. The key is to first create space. Without it, your mind will be muddled and full of distractions. In order to gain clarity, clear your mind.