Tools for Innovators: Identifying Root Causes with The 5 Whys
Often in our endeavors, whether personal or professional, transformative change eludes us because we address only the surface symptoms of a problem. Despite our efforts, the underlying issue remains unresolved. This can lead to frustration, burnout, or acceptance of the status quo. The 5 Whys technique will help.
Originally conceptualized at Toyota, the 5 Whys emerged from the business world as a tool to identify the root causes of a business or production problem. But it can be a hugely helpful practice for any problem, including difficult social issues, and can drive innovative solutions.
It’s super simple to remember and start applying. When confronting a problem, ask why the problem is happening. Then take your answer and ask why that thing is happening. Repeat this process 5 times, or as many times as needed to get to the real root of the issue.
Depending on the complexity of the problem, you might have various versions, a whole flowchart, or many more than five whys. You may find a root cause you hadn’t thought about, but don't worry so much about getting it “right” when starting. Think of it as a mental exercise to help you start to see aspects of the problem you might not have seen before, or to create hypotheses that you can then test by engaging with your community or audience.
Let's try one:
Why is our congregation shrinking?
Because younger people aren't coming, and we're aging out.
Why are young people not coming?
Coming to services is a time commitment, and they choose to spend their time in other ways.
Why do they choose to spend their time in other ways?
There are a lot of things competing for their time and attention, and our offerings aren't adding as much perceived value to their lives as other options.
Why do they not find value in our offerings?
What we offer isn't meeting an identifiable need for them as they go about their lives.
Why are our offerings not meeting their needs?
Our offerings are designed for those who show up to a particular place at a particular time during the week, which is not always convenient or feasible for them.
This may or may not be the root cause of why our congregation is shrinking. We need to listen to the people we're trying to reach to better understand their reasoning and perspectives. But even this initial run of the exercise leads to at least two innovation-driving design questions:
What if we show up for people in other places instead of expecting them to show up here?
And what if we create offerings that are so useful to them that they do come to us?
After listening to the people we’re trying to reach, this might lead to… Young parents in our community need quality childcare. If we offer that, they will show up twice a day, giving us an opportunity to help meet their spiritual needs (which may be less visible and thus, lower priority for them) as well. They also need rest. How might we provide that?
Or… High school students worry about college or what will come next for them and wrestle with finding their path in life. What if we help them find purpose, financial support, college guidance, mentorship, etc.?
Here is a second example:
Why are so many people in our community experiencing homelessness?
Because they don't have stable housing.
Why do people not have stable housing?
Due to factors such as unaffordable rent, low wages, job loss, or sudden crisis, people may lose their housing or not be able to find housing.
Why are people struggling with affordable housing, stable employment, and crisis resiliency?
Declining social capital, stagnating wages, lack of affordable housing, and inadequate public assistance and mental health supports are colliding to make it difficult for vulnerable populations to overcome crisis.
Note: This is where you might branch this into multiple components, but let's take just one - the lack of public assistance.
Why is there a lack of public housing support for people in our community?
There is an underinvestment in housing programs at a time when housing stock is not keeping pace with population growth.
Why is there underinvestment in housing supports?
Political resistance, fragmented responsibility across agencies, and a lack of coordinated intervention have led to piecemeal approaches competing for insufficient funding.
Homelessness is a complex problem in any community, so this version of the exercise could have multiple branches and continue to ask why several more times. But what solutions might this already point to? Check out one of our favorite organizations, Community Solutions, which is ending homelessness in cities across the U.S. by solving the problem of a lack of coordinated intervention.
The next time you’re staring down a problem, give the 5 Whys a try and see where it takes you.
Tools for Innovators is our new series to share techniques that will build your confidence and capacity to innovate.
Photo by Omar Ramadan on Unsplash