Beyond Band-Aids—Finding a Cure That Sticks

As learning and development professionals, we know the “1-800-TRAIN” syndrome well. A manager calls the training department and says, “My division supervisors are having issues working together. Can you come next month and conduct a two-day team-building session?” As strategic business partners, we understand the need to analyze requests like these before providing a solution option. And, typically, our portfolio of skills includes ways to analyze such requests for training. However, when the challenge is not just about training, do we still use this analysis-first approach? What if you are working with a cross-functional team to solve an organizational challenge related to employee engagement or retention?

Solving next-level business challenges is a powerful skill. However, for a variety of reasons such as time, desire to be seen as decisive, or urgency, many professionals tend to operate by providing solutions as soon as they hear about a problem. Root cause analysis is a systematic approach and moves beyond reactive band-aids. It uses a variety of tools and techniques to investigate the contributing causes of the challenge, not just the symptoms. It digs deeper for the why behind the what. Solving the root cause leads to long-term solutions, preventing reoccurrence and thus promoting efficiency and resource savings. This blog will provide an overview of two tools, the Five-Whys Technique and the Fishbone diagram, that teams can use to help identify root causes and effective solutions.

The 5-Whys Technique

The Five Whys (5 Whys) technique is part of the Toyota Production System (TPS) quality suite. It separates the symptoms from the root cause of a problem by iteratively asking why until the root cause is determined. The process helps identify contextual system issues and helps the team working on the challenge read between the lines. Depending on the nature of the problem, “why?” might need to be asked more or less than five times; the five whys title refers to the need to ask why more than once, until the root cause is determined. In addition, the responses to the WHY must be validated by observation, experience, data, facts, or history. Mistakes or misuse of the questions can provide false or misleading information.

Determine the problem. Ask, “What caused “Problem X” and listen for the response. Then ask, “What caused Response A?” When that is supplied, ask, “What caused Response B?” and so on.

It is critical to base proposed root causes (answers to the “why” questions) on direct observation and data, not “armchair” speculation or deduction; otherwise, you are only guessing, and guessing is not productive. You can validate the suggested root causes by asking the following questions:

• What is the proof, if any, (something you can measure or observe) to support this root-cause determination?

• Is there any history or knowledge to indicate that the possible root cause could produce such a problem?

• Is there anything “underneath” the possible root cause that could be more probable?

• Is there anything this possible root cause requires to produce the problem?

Tips for using the 5 Whys:

• The number 5 is flexible – Why may not need to be asked five times or may need to be asked more than five times.

• Validate your responses – Mistakes or misuse of the questions can provide false or misleading information.

• Focus on processes and the system – Do not blame people.

• Use multiple tools – If the issue is complex, other tools may be more useful.

The Fishbone Diagram

A Fishbone Diagram, also known as the Cause and Effect or Ishikawa Diagram, is a graphic depiction of the relationship between a given outcome and all factors that influence that outcome or effect. By separating the factors, it isolates them and makes them easier to address. The diagram resembles the skeleton of a fish with a head, spine, backbones, and sub-bones. It is considered one of the seven basic quality tools.

The starting point is a clear statement of the problem within the system, or the effect. From that point, you can ideate, cluster like topics into an affinity diagram, and then label each primary cause for each backbone. You can also start with the typical categories of people, including skills, training, and performance; processes such as career development, performance management, onboarding, and compensation; technology including communication and collaboration tools and the HRIS; and the environment including leadership styles, team dynamics, communication, and culture. It is important to have these primary categories defined and clear.

Start the ideation with 8–10 minutes of silent and independent writing of every possible factor causing the problem on sticky notes. Then in round robin fashion, post one factor at a time. If others have the same factors, they post them on top of the first sticky. Related stickies can be posted close together in a clustering manner. This posting process continues until all the factors have been reviewed and posted. If anyone in the group thinks of other factors during the discussion, they can be written and posted. It is also typical to have a miscellaneous category for outliers.

Each cluster is reviewed. Do other factors need to be added? Do factors need to be moved to another cluster? Are there outliers that do not belong with anything else?

Assess the causes for priority. You may need data to prioritize the possible causes.

Another way to address the causes is to conduct the 5 Whys or another Fishbone for each major cause. The location of the bones does not indicate priority.

Conclusion

There are other tools that can be used for root cause analysis, such as the Pareto and the Failure Mode and Effect Analysis tool. When problem-solving, it is a best practice to use a variety of tools to validate your results.

Root cause analysis is imperative for a continuous improvement culture. It helps employees to dig deep to solve organizational challenges and builds individual critical, analytical, and systems. So, the next time a challenge surfaces, don’t slap on a band-aid—use a simple tool for root cause analysis to dig deep and find a real cure for what ails your organization.

For more insights, check out the ATD Forum Toolkit: Solution-Finding: A Five-Step Process.