Five Whys

Make the purpose of your work together clear

Overview

The Five Whys formula helps to clarify the aim of a team’s project or an individual’s task and the reasons why these are important, achieving unexpected positive development in work quality and accomplishments. A simple yet thorough shared thought simultaneously kindles a sense of freedom and more responsibility.

How to use it

Discover what is truly important for the group members.
Lay the project foundations, such as the design to use and the people to include.
Change the organization propelled by stories emerging from the 5 Whys activity.
Provide a basis for evaluation.
Craft or clarify a compelling shared purpose.
Begin any coaching sessions, including Troika Consulting or Peer Assist.
Anchor each element of a Design Storyboards with “Why is this activity or element important to you? What does it add to the flow of exchanges among participants?”

How to apply it

Start:

Participants are asked: “What do you do when working on ______ (the subject matter or challenge at hand)? Please make a short list of activities.”
Then ask, “Why is that important to you?” Keeping asking “Why?” questions, five times, or until you can go no deeper.

Setting:

Sticky notes. An unlimited number of people, face-to-face in pairs and groups of four, then the whole group. Everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute.

Materials:

Sticky notes.

Time/Steps:

10 minutes: Each person in a pair is interviewed for 5 minutes. Starting with “What do you do when working on ____?”
- The interviewer gently seeks a deeper answer with each query: “Why is that important to you?”
- Then after 5 minutes, the participants switch roles with their partner, and start the interview process again.
5 minutes: Share the experience and insights with another pair in a foursome.
5 minutes: Reflect as a whole group by asking, “How do our purposes influence the next steps we take?”

How to adapt it

In the small groups, ask if “a fundamental justification for committing time and money to the work” emerged in the conversation.
A clear personal purpose plus a community justification can quickly fuel the spread of an initiative.
Encourage participants to craft a single sentence that powerfully justifies their work to others: “We exist to…!”
To make the activity progress more smoothly add 10 how questions after you have reached clarity as to the why.
A good purpose is never closed. Make it dynamically incomplete by inviting everyone to make contributions and mutually shape understanding of the deepest need for the work.
Record answers on sticky notes, number them and place on a flip chart. You can arrange the answers in a triangle: broad answers on the top and detailed answers on the bottom. Compare and debrief.
Use the chat function during a webinar or on a Discussion Forums UPDATE to start formulating a purpose statement: each participant reflects on the Five Whys questions, sharing their ideas in the chat box.

Case study

Activity:

Training on project design

Contact:

G.Mercier@itcilo.org (SDG)

Description:

A participant from Malawi, who was in charge of an anti-corruption project, presented his project to the whole group. By applying the five whys method, the participants had to identify the causes of the difficulties/problems the person from Malawi was facing in his project. A detailed problem tree was created by applying the five whys. It allowed the other participants to quickly understand the difficulties and the complexity of the project.

Tips

Create a welcoming space where participant feel at ease to talk about their insights.
Vary how you ask “why?” For example use metaphors or hyperbole, such as “If last night while you slept your dream had come true, what would be different?”
Share the variety of responses and reflect on differences among group members.
If someone gets stuck, ask “Does a story come to mind?”
Make it a routine practice in your group.