5 Whys

Have you ever been in a team meeting where something went wrong—and after an hour of debate, you leave with nothing resolved? That’s usually because the group jumped to solutions without first getting agreement on exactly what the problem was.

The 5 Whys method was developed at Toyota to help teams do just that. In just 20 minutes, it can bring a group to consensus about what truly went wrong—and what to do about it. It’s not magic. It’s just structured thinking done together.

If you’ve never been part of a 5 Whys session before, don’t try to lead your first one solo. It’s harder than it looks. The conversation can easily veer into blame, or wander into rabbit holes. Some people may go silent, and you’ll miss valuable insight. People aren’t born knowing how to facilitate a good 5 Whys—so find someone who has done it before. Watch a few sessions. Then you’ll be ready to guide one yourself.