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Root Cause Analysis with 5 Whys Technique (With Examples)

By Sebastian Traeger

Updated: March 21, 2024

Reading Time: 7 minutes

What Is the 5 Whys Technique?

Example of the 5 whys technique, how to conduct a 5 whys analysis in 5 steps, when to use a 5 whys analysis, using 5 whys template, tips for mastering the 5 whys technique, frequently asked questions about 5 whys.

With over two decades in business – spanning strategy consulting, tech startups and executive leadership – I am committed to helping your organization thrive.

At Reliability, we’re on a mission to help enhance strategic decision-making and operational excellence through the power of Root Cause Analysis, and I hope this article will be helpful! 

Our goal is to help you better understand 5 whys techniques by offering insights and practical tips based on years of experience. Whether you’re new to doing RCAs or a seasoned pro, we trust this will be useful in your journey towards working hard and working smart.

The 5 Whys Technique is like peeling an onion – it helps you uncover the underlying reasons behind a problem, layer by layer. By repeatedly asking “why” at least five times, this method digs deep to reveal the root cause of an issue. It’s a simple yet powerful problem-solving approach that aims to get to the heart of the matter rather than just addressing surface-level symptoms.

5 Whys Technique: A method that involves iteratively asking “why” five times to unveil the fundamental cause of a problem.

In essence, the 5 Whys Technique is not just about fixing what’s broken on the surface; it’s about understanding and addressing the deeper issues that lead to problems in the first place.

The 5 Whys Technique is like a detective, uncovering the truth behind recurring problems. Let’s take a look at how this method works in two different scenarios.

Case Study: Manufacturing Defects

Imagine a company that keeps encountering the same manufacturing defects despite various attempts to fix them. By using the 5 Whys Technique, they discovered that the defects were not caused by faulty machinery, as previously assumed, but rather by human error due to unclear operating instructions. This realization led to improved training procedures and clear work guidelines, ultimately eliminating the defects.

Application in Service Industry

Now, consider a service industry struggling with frequent customer complaints and service failures. Through the 5 Whys Technique, it was revealed that these issues stemmed from inadequate staffing levels during peak hours. By addressing this root cause, such as hiring additional staff or adjusting schedules, the service quality can significantly improve, leading to higher customer satisfaction.

These examples illustrate how the 5 Whys Technique can be applied across different sectors to identify and address underlying issues effectively.

Step 1: Identify the Problem

Before diving into a 5 Whys analysis, it’s crucial to clearly identify the problem or issue at hand . This step sets the stage for the entire process and ensures that the focus remains on addressing the right concern. Take the time to gather relevant data, observe patterns, and consult with team members or stakeholders to gain a comprehensive understanding of the problem.

Step 2: Ask ‘Why’ Five Times

Once the problem is clearly defined, it’s time to start peeling back the layers. The process involves asking “why” five times, not necessarily limited to five questions but enough to delve deeper into the underlying causes of the problem . Each “why” serves as a gateway to uncovering additional factors contributing to the issue. This iterative approach helps in identifying not just one cause, but multiple interconnected elements that may be at play.

By consistently probing deeper with each “why,” you can reveal hidden complexities and nuances that may have been overlooked initially. This method allows for a more thorough understanding of the situation, paving the way for effective solutions that address root causes rather than surface-level symptoms.

This structured approach encourages critical thinking and enables teams to move beyond quick fixes towards sustainable improvements.

The 5 Whys Technique is a versatile problem-solving approach that can be applied in various scenarios to uncover root causes and drive continuous improvement. Here are two key situations where the 5 Whys Analysis can be particularly beneficial:

Recurring Issues

• The 5 Whys Technique is especially useful when dealing with recurring issues. Whether it’s a manufacturing defect that keeps resurfacing or a persistent customer complaint in the service industry, this method helps identify the underlying reasons behind these repetitive problems. By repeatedly asking “why,” it becomes possible to trace the issue back to its root cause, allowing for targeted solutions that prevent reoccurrence.

Process Improvement

• Organizations constantly strive to enhance their processes and workflows for increased efficiency and quality. When seeking to improve existing procedures, the 5 Whys Technique serves as a valuable tool. By systematically analyzing the factors contributing to inefficiencies or bottlenecks, teams can gain insights into how processes can be optimized at their core. This method enables organizations to make informed decisions about process improvements based on a deep understanding of the underlying issues.

In both cases, the 5 Whys Analysis offers a structured yet flexible approach to delve into complex problems, making it an indispensable tool for driving meaningful change and progress within organizations.

When it comes to conducting a 5 Whys analysis, utilizing a structured template can greatly facilitate the process and ensure a comprehensive investigation into the root cause identification. Using RCA software such as EasyRCA can benefit the team by streamlining your 5-why process. Here’s how organizations can benefit from using a template:

Benefits of Using a Template

• Streamlined Process: A well-designed 5 Whys template provides a clear framework for conducting the analysis, guiding teams through the iterative questioning process. This streamlines the investigation, making it easier to navigate and ensuring that no crucial aspects are overlooked.
• Thorough Investigation: By following a predefined template, teams are prompted to explore various facets of the problem systematically. This ensures that all relevant factors are considered, leading to a more thorough and insightful investigation into the underlying causes.
• Consistent Approach: Templates offer a standardized approach to conducting 5 Whys analyses within an organization. This consistency promotes uniformity in problem-solving methods across different teams or departments, enhancing overall efficiency and effectiveness.

Customizing the Template

Organizations have the flexibility to customize 5 Whys templates according to their specific needs and industry requirements. This adaptability allows for tailoring the template to address unique challenges and incorporate industry-specific considerations. Customization may include:

• Adding Industry-Specific Prompts: Tailoring the template by incorporating prompts or questions relevant to particular industries or types of issues being analyzed.
• Incorporating Visual Aids: Enhancing the template with visual aids such as flow charts or diagrams can help teams better understand and communicate complex causal relationships.
• Iterative Refinement: Regularly reviewing and refining the template based on feedback and evolving organizational needs ensures that it remains aligned with current processes and challenges.

Customizing the template empowers organizations to harness the full potential of the 5 Whys Technique in addressing diverse problems while aligning with their unique operational contexts.

Encouraging Open Communication

In mastering the 5 Whys Technique as a problem-solving method, creating an environment that fosters open communication is paramount. When team members feel comfortable expressing their perspectives and insights, it leads to a more comprehensive exploration of the underlying causes of a problem. Encouraging open communication allows for diverse viewpoints to be considered, providing a holistic understanding of the issue at hand.

By promoting an atmosphere where individuals are empowered to voice their observations and concerns, the 5 Whys analysis can benefit from a rich tapestry of ideas and experiences. This inclusive approach not only enhances the depth of the analysis but also cultivates a sense of ownership and collective responsibility for addressing root causes within the team or organization.

Continuous Improvement Mindset

A key aspect of mastering the 5 Whys Technique is embracing a continuous improvement mindset. Rather than viewing problems as isolated incidents, this approach encourages teams to see them as opportunities for growth and development. By instilling a culture of continuous improvement, organizations can leverage the insights gained from 5 Whys analyzes to drive positive change across various aspects of their operations.

Fostering a mindset focused on continuous improvement entails actively seeking feedback, evaluating processes, and implementing iterative enhancements based on the findings. It involves an ongoing commitment to learning from past experiences and leveraging that knowledge to proactively address potential issues before they escalate. Embracing this mindset ensures that the 5 Whys Technique becomes ingrained in the organizational ethos, leading to sustained progress and resilience in problem-solving efforts.

As we wrap up our exploration of the 5 Whys Technique, let’s address some common questions that may arise regarding this powerful problem-solving method.

What is the primary goal of the 5 Whys Technique?

The primary goal of the 5 Whys Technique is to uncover the root cause of a problem by iteratively asking “why” at least five times. This approach aims to move beyond surface-level symptoms and address the underlying issues that lead to recurring problems.

Is the 5 Whys Technique limited to specific industries or sectors?

No, the 5 Whys Technique is versatile and can be applied across various industries and sectors. Whether it’s manufacturing, healthcare, service, or technology, this method offers a structured yet flexible approach to identifying root causes and driving continuous improvement.

How does the 5 Whys Technique contribute to continuous improvement?

By delving into the fundamental reasons behind problems, the 5 Whys Technique provides organizations with valuable insights for driving continuous improvement. It not only helps in resolving immediate issues but also fosters a culture of ongoing enhancement and development within an organization.

Can the 5 Whys Technique be used for complex problems with multiple contributing factors?

Yes, while initially designed as a simple and straightforward method, the 5 Whys Technique can certainly be applied to complex problems with multiple interconnected factors. By systematically probing deeper into each layer of causality, this technique enables a comprehensive understanding of intricate issues.

I hope you found this guide to 5 whys technique insightful and actionable! Stay tuned for more thought-provoking articles as we continue to share our knowledge. Success is rooted in a thorough understanding and consistent application, and we hope this article was a step in unlocking the full potential of Root Cause Analysis for your organization.

Reliability runs initiatives such as an online learning center focused on the proprietary PROACT® RCA methodology and EasyRCA.com software. For additional resources, visit Reliability Resources .

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The 5 Why Problem-Solving Technique | Root Cause Analysis

• 7 mins to read
• July 13, 2018
• By Reagan Pannell

By using the 5-why analysis, you can get to the root cause of a problem, rather than just treating its symptoms.n help.

One of the most famous and straightforward problem-solving methodologies introduced by Toyota has become known as the “Five Why’s”. It’s a tool where you simply keep asking “Why” 5 times to identify the root cause of the problem and potentially a simple solution. It’s at the heart of lean thinking and our Lean training courses .

Did you know that kids ask around 90 questions a day and many of them are just “Why”!

We all naturally ask, “Why” all the time? The last figure I heard is that kids ask around 90 questions a day, and many of them are “Why?” style questions.

And the best way to imagine how the ‘Five Whys’ work is to imagine children asking “why”… again and again. As adults, we ask “Why?” once or maybe twice. If you are at a dinner party, asking your friends “Why?” more than twice, may make us look like petulant children. To ask your boss “Why?” once may not even be possible in case it comes across threatening or disrespectful, or perhaps you will feel that its a sign of your lack of knowledge.

But asking “why” without the threatening and undermining tone is an essential way we all began to learn. Asking “why” almost gets kicked out of us at school and with it the questioning mind that we all need if we want to do something different.

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The ‘Five Whys’ is this simple in theory.

It asks us to take an open mind to a problem and to not be afraid to keep asking why five times (plus or minus a couple depending on the situation). And what is the goal? Well, our goal is to keep drilling down until we feel that “A-HA!” moment when things suddenly make more sense, and we have uncovered a root cause.

So let’s bring this to life with a real-life example regarding the Washington Monument.

The Washington Monument and others for that matter were deteriorating quite severely in the early ’90s. The specialists were sure why. However, on the desk of Don Messersmith, an esteemed Entomologist (the scientific study of insects) was what has become one of the most famous examples of the five whys approach to problem-solving .

Just for the curious:  Messersmith, Donald H. 1993.  Lincoln Memorial Lighting and Midge Study . Unpublished report prepared for the National Park Service. CX-2000-1-0014. N.p

Idea Summary: The problem was simple: The Washington Monument in Washington D.C. is deteriorating.

Why #1 – Why is the monument deteriorating? Because harsh chemicals are being frequently used to clean the monument

Why #2 – Why are harsh chemicals needed? To clean off the large number of bird droppings being left on the monument

Why #3 – Why are there a large number of bird droppings on the monument? Because of the large number of spiders and other insects which are a food source of the birds

Why #4 – Why are there large numbers of spiders and other insects around the monument? Because the insects get drawn to the monument at dusk

Why #5 – Why are the insects attracted to the monument at dusk? Because the lighting in the evening attracts the local insects

This classic five why example shows how the goal of the “five why problem-solving” approach is to move past the first level inquiry. It would have been quite easy to change the chemical, which was causing the apparent issue or investigate different cleaning methods which may slow the deterioration but nothing more.

The solution implemented was simply to delay turning on the lights at night. The result was a dramatic 85% reduction in the midges and consequently, a massive drop in bird droppings and the level of cleaning required. The bonus was also a reduction in energy costs.*

Five Why application to Customer / User Experience

The five why problem-solving technique can be used in almost all scenarios where you are trying to resolve an identified problem. So in the example below, let’s look at customer behaviour.

In the book “Hooked (How to Build Habit-Forming Products)”, the author Nir Eyal ( www.nirandfar.com ), uses the five whys approach to dig into users behaviour and tries to identify the underlying root cause of the behaviour. He points out that “one method is to try asking the question “Why?” as many times as it takes to get to anemotion.” The emotion behind the behaviour is often the driving force and the trigger which forms habits.

Idea Summary: Problem: What drives people to use email?

Why #1 – Why would Julie want to use email? So she can send and receive messages.

Why #2 – Why does she want to do that? Because she wants to share and receive information quickly?

Why #3 – Why does she want to do that? To know what’s going on in the lives of her coworkers, friends, and family.

Why #4 – Why does she need to know that? To know if someone needs her.

Why #5 – Why would she care about that? She fears to be out of the loop

While the final “why” appears to point to something very different than the Washington Monument example they both uncover a root cause. 

The first example is that the lighting is attracting the midges.

In the second example – its finding the root emotion that drives people to use a particular product and knowing that this emotion can help business connect with their customers at a deeper level to build successful products that a customer wants to engage with.

Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it. Winnie the Pooh Tweet

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Reagan Pannell is a highly accomplished professional with 15 years of experience in building lean management programs for corporate companies. With his expertise in strategy execution, he has established himself as a trusted advisor for numerous organisations seeking to improve their operational efficiency.

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What are 5 Whys?

The 5 Whys method is an iterative interrogative technique pioneered at Toyota Motor Corporation in the 1930s to explore the cause-and-effect relationships underlying a specific problem. By working back the cause of one effect to another up to five times, designers can expose root causes and explore effective solutions.

“Be ahead of the times through endless creativity, inquisitiveness and pursuit of improvement.” — Sakichi Toyoda, Japanese industrialist and inventor who formulated the 5 Whys method

See why 5 Whys is such a valuable tool.

• Transcript loading…

Dig Deep to the Root Cause with 5 Whys

To ask why something happened is a natural, effective way to uncover a problem, be it a high bounce rate on a website, a marketplace failure or anything else you may want to know about users, etc. However, cause-and-effect chains can be long and complex . Whether they occur in the natural or human world, end-result events rarely happen in isolation with only one cause to trigger them. The effects of one action or condition can be so far-reaching that it’s easy to jump to conclusions when you look at the end result. The greater the number of removes —or steps in a cause-and-effect chain— the more effort and insight it will take to work your way back to what actually started the whole sequence of events that ultimately resulted in the problem at hand. If you overlook any factors involved, you might end up making assumptions—and it’s essential to discard assumptions in user experience (UX) design .

The 5 Whys method was developed to work back to a root cause of a mechanical problem by a total of five removes. Toyota’s famous example illustrates the simple nature but immense power of the technique:

Why did the robot stop? The circuit overloaded, making a fuse blow.

Why? There was insufficient lubrication on the bearings, so they locked up.

Why? The oil pump on the robot wasn’t circulating enough oil.

Why? The pump intake was clogged with metal shavings.

Why? There was no filter on the pump .

In UX design—for example service design —system failures can be far more intricate than this. Users are humans who act in complex contexts, and their behaviors (and reasons for these) can be difficult to decipher, especially with so many channels and parts of their user journeys for you to examine. Most of what we first see when we look at an apparent problem (or, rather, its end result) is just on the surface. Symptoms can be misleading. On that note—and even more importantly for modern designers—the 5 Whys is an essential tool to dig down to root causes on a bigger scale. As cognitive science and user experience expert Don Norman advises in his 21st century design , human-centered design and humanity-centered design approaches, designers who want to effect real change in solving complex global-level problems need to get beneath the symptoms and apparent causes to discover and address what’s really going on. If you don’t solve the right problem—and work with the root cause—the symptoms will just come back.

You can use 5 Whys anytime in your design process, but it’s particularly helpful early on when you need to understand the problem facing your users, customers and/or stakeholders. As such, it’s a valuable aid in design thinking . When you conduct user research , the answers you can get by asking “why” repeatedly can arm your design team with many insights from users—insights which you can leverage to identify the real or underlying problem, and then iteratively gear your ideation efforts more accurately around it. You can use 5 Whys to:

Determine what’s important from the user’s/customer’s/stakeholder’s viewpoint.

Explore why users/customers/stakeholders think, feel and do what they do.

Analyze the information.

© Daniel Skrok and Interaction Design Foundation, CC BY-SA 3.0

How to Use 5 Whys to Find the Root Cause

Five Whys is especially helpful to use in the empathize stage of design thinking, when you’re gathering the information you need so you can proceed to define the problem to address. It’s exactly as it sounds: you:

Base the first question on the apparent end result.

Form the second question on the answer to this.

Form the third question on the answer to the second question.

Form the fourth question on the answer to the third.

Form the fifth question on the answer to the fourth.

For example : “Not as many customers are subscribing to the website’s newsletter after the design changed.”

Why? Most of them click the subscription-related button within two seconds after it appears.

Why? Because they’re used to seeing subscription-prompting pop-ups.

Why? Because the internet is full of these.

Why? Because organizations have grown used to deploying these with an automatic opt-in dark pattern for users to find it harder not to subscribe.

Why? Because automatic opt- out buttons or allowing users to freely think about newsletter subscriptions (i.e., without guiding them with a design pattern) mean fewer subscriptions.

Here, it appears the designer failed to use the automatic opt-in design pattern.

You can frame your “why” questions with different wording (e.g., “What do you think made that happen?”).

Keep asking until you get to the root cause of why your users feel or behave a certain way. For example, if they say, “Because I felt like doing that,” try to prompt them to evaluate their statement (without annoying them).

You can ask fewer (or more) questions, whatever works.

Ask “Why?” even if you think you already know the answer: you may be surprised what insights you can evoke.

© Olya Kobruseva, CC0

Learn More about the 5 Whys

Take our 21st Century Design course , featuring the 5 Whys template. If you want to know more about how you can apply the 5 Whys and many other humanity-centered design tools to help solve the world’s biggest problems you can take our course Design for a Better World with Don Norman .

Read the inspiring book on how you can implement your design skills and knowledge to help solve complex global problems such as climate change, hunger and inequity. Norman, Donald A. Design for a Better World: Meaningful, Sustainable, Humanity Centered . Cambridge, MA, MA: The MIT Press, 2023. You can use 5 Whys anytime in your design process. It’s particularly helpful early on when you need to understand the problem facing your users, customers and/or stakeholders. As such, it’s a valuable aid in the first phase of the design thinking process. Take our design thinking course and learn how to benefit from the 5 Whys method.

Read this UX Planet piece for in-depth insights on 5 Whys.

Literature on 5 Whys

Here’s the entire UX literature on 5 Whys by the Interaction Design Foundation, collated in one place:

Learn more about 5 Whys

Take a deep dive into 5 Whys with our course Design for a Better World with Don Norman .

“Because everyone designs, we are all designers, so it is up to all of us to change the world. However, those of us who are professional designers have an even greater responsibility, for professional designers have the training and the knowledge to have a major impact on the lives of people and therefore on the earth.” — Don Norman, Design for a Better World

Our world is full of complex socio-technical problems:

Unsustainable and wasteful practices that cause extreme climate changes such as floods and droughts.

Wars that worsen hunger and poverty .

Pandemics that disrupt entire economies and cripple healthcare .

Widespread misinformation that undermines education.

All these problems are massive and interconnected. They seem daunting, but as you'll see in this course, we can overcome them.

Design for a Better World with Don Norman is taught by cognitive psychologist and computer scientist Don Norman. Widely regarded as the father (and even the grandfather) of user experience, he is the former VP of the Advanced Technology Group at Apple and co-founder of the Nielsen Norman Group.

Don Norman has constantly advocated the role of design. His book “The Design of Everyday Things” is a masterful introduction to the importance of design in everyday objects. Over the years, his conviction in the larger role of design and designers to solve complex socio-technical problems has only increased.

This course is based on his latest book “Design for a Better World,” released in March 2023. Don Norman urges designers to think about the whole of humanity, not just individual people or small groups.

In lesson 1, you'll learn about the importance of meaningful measurements . Everything around us is artificial, and so are the metrics we use. Don Norman challenges traditional numerical metrics since they do not capture the complexity of human life and the environment. He advocates for alternative measurements alongside traditional ones to truly understand the complete picture.

In lesson 2, you'll learn about and explore multiple examples of sustainability and circular design in practice. In lesson 3, you'll dive into humanity-centered design and learn how to apply incremental modular design to large and complex socio-technical problems.

In lesson 4, you'll discover how designers can facilitate behavior-change , which is crucial to address the world's most significant issues. Finally, in the last lesson, you'll learn how designers can contribute to designing a better world on a practical level and the role of artificial intelligence in the future of design.

Throughout the course, you'll get practical tips to apply in real-life projects. In the " Build Your Case Study" project, you'll step into the field and seek examples of organizations and people who already practice the philosophy and methods you’ll learn in this course.

You'll get step-by-step guidelines to help you identify which organizations and projects genuinely change the world and which are superficial. Most importantly, you'll understand what gaps currently exist and will be able to recommend better ways to implement projects. You will build on your case study in each lesson, so once you have completed the course, you will have an in-depth piece for your portfolio .

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The Power of the Five Whys: Drilling Down to Effectively Problem-Solve

What is the “5 whys” method, the power of asking “why”, when the 5 whys should be used, how to utilize the 5 whys technique, five whys examples, other ways of improving problem-solving.

It’s a fact of life that things don’t always go according to plan. When facing mistakes or challenges, asking “why”—especially if you do it repeatedly—can help uncover deeper layers of understanding so you can identify potential solutions.

The question “why” can be used in problem-solving as a powerful technique that helps us dig deeper, challenge assumptions, and think critically. After all, if you’re not sure why a problem exists in the first place, it’s very difficult to solve it.

The “Five Whys” method (also called “5 Whys Root Cause Analysis”) can specifically help in examining beliefs, behaviors, and patterns to shine a light on areas for improvement. The Five Whys have other benefits too, including encouraging collaboration and communication since this strategy promotes open dialogue among team members or partners. It also helps generate effective and lasting solutions that can prevent similar issues from resurfacing in the future.

In this article, learn how to use the Five Whys to save yourself or your company from wasting time and money and to address important issues at their source before they escalate.

The “Five Whys” is a technique commonly used in problem-solving to find the root causes of problems . This type of analysis can be applied to various situations, including within companies and relationships, to gain deeper insights and understandings of challenges and obstacles. The method involves “drilling down” by repeatedly asking “why”—typically five times or more—to get to the underlying causes or motivations behind a particular issue. Overall, it’s a way to figure out causes and effects related to a situation so that solutions can be uncovered.

“Effective problem solving can help organizations improve in every area of their business, including product quality, client satisfaction, and finances.” Jamie Birt , Career Coach

Here are a few reasons why asking “why,” or practicing the Five Whys, is important in problem-solving:

• Identifies underlying issues and root causes: Repeatedly asking “why” helps peel back the layers of a problem to get closer to the heart of what’s not working well. The goal is to define the real issue at hand to address its underlying causes. Understanding root causes is crucial because it enables you to address issues at their source rather than simply dealing with surface-level effects.
• Promotes critical thinking: Critical thinking refers to the process of objectively and analytically evaluating information, arguments, or situations. To engage in critical thinking and analysis, we need to ask “why,” usually over and over again. This encourages us to develop a more nuanced understanding of a problem by evaluating different factors, examining relationships, and considering different perspectives. Doing so helps lead to well-reasoned judgments and informed decisions.
• Uncovers assumptions: The opposite of assuming something is remaining open-minded and curious about it. Albert Einstein once said , “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” Asking “why” prompts you to challenge preconceived notions you may not even realize you have. Often, we make assumptions about a problem or its causes without having all the information we need. By gaining a fresh perspective, we can consider alternative solutions.
• Generates insights: The Five Whys can lead to valuable discoveries and potential fixes by uncovering hidden connections. These insights can guide us toward innovative solutions that prevent similar problems from worsening or happening again.

“Curiosity has been identified as a characteristic of high-performing salespeople, and having a tool and system that fosters curiosity in your team is extremely helpful.” Alexander Young, Forbes

Any time a problem needs to be clarified and solved, the Five Whys can help. This flexible technique can be adapted to different situations, including personal and professional ones. For example, it’s useful when there are complications within businesses that are causing a loss of profits or when arguments occur among family members or partners. Eric Ries from Harvard Business Review points out that start-ups can especially benefit from the Five Whys to test and refine procedures, ideas, products, and processes.

To get the most out of the Five Whys, include people with personal knowledge of the problem, processes, and systems involved in the analysis, such as employees and customers. This means that if a leadership team, for example, wants to use the Five Whys to improve customer engagement, actual customers and customer service representatives would be ideal people to include in the discussion. 

Here are examples of situations in which the Five Whys can be utilized:

• Troubleshooting business processes or operations issues, such as delivery or customer service concerns.
• Identifying the reasons behind personal challenges or recurring problems, such as disputes between bosses and employees.
• Analyzing project failures or setbacks, such as missed deadlines, to find underlying causes.
• Understanding customer complaints or dissatisfaction to improve products or services.
• Improving communication, teamwork, and client relationships.

Sakichi Toyoda (1867–1930) was a Japanese inventor and industrialist known for his business ventures, including founding the Toyota Motor Corporation. Toyoda is credited with developing the Five Whys method in the 1930s, which he used to support continuous improvement within his companies . 

For example, within Toyota Production System (TPS), key goals included eliminating waste, improving efficiency, and ensuring quality. Toyoda used the Five Whys to identify problems within his company and to find ways to resolve them to improve production and customer satisfaction. He once stated , “By repeating why five times, the nature of the problem as well as its solution becomes clear.”

“The beauty of the [Five Whys] tool is in its simplicity. Not only is it universally applicable, it also ensures that you don’t move to action straight away without fully considering whether the reason you’ve identified really is the cause of the problem.” Think Design

The Five Whys works by drilling down to a main underlying cause. The answer to the first “why” should prompt another “why,” and then the answer to the second “why” should continue to prompt more “whys” until a root cause is identified.

Follow these steps to implement the Five Whys:

1. Identify the Initial Problem: Clearly define the problem you want to address. Be specific, such as by including details that help with the analysis. Make sure to clearly articulate the issue by breaking it down into smaller components to ensure everyone involved has a thorough understanding of the situation.

2. Ask “Why?”: Start by asking why the problem occurred. Answer your own question. The answer becomes the basis for the next “why” question.

3. Repeat the Process Five or More Times: Continue asking “why” about the previous answer, iterating at least five times or until you reach a point where the root cause of the problem becomes apparent.

4. Analyze and Take Action: Once you have identified the root cause, analyze potential solutions and take appropriate action.

Here’s a template that you can use to make the process simple:

Problem Statement: (One sentence description of the main problem)

• Why is the problem happening? (Insert answer)
• Why is the answer above happening? (Insert answer)

Root Cause(s) 

To test if the root cause is correct, ask yourself the following: “If you removed this root cause, would this problem be resolved?”

Potential Solutions:

List one or more ways you can resolve the root cause of the problem.

The Five Whys method is not a rigid rule but rather a flexible framework that can be adjusted based on the complexity of the problem. You may need to ask “why” only three times or more than five times, such as 7 to 9 times, to nail down the main underlying cause. It’s not the exact amount of “whys” you ask that matters, more so that you’re really investigating the situation and getting to the root of the issue.

Here are two examples of how the Five Whys technique can be used to problem-solve:

Example 1: Machine Breakdown

• Problem Statement: A machine in a manufacturing facility keeps breaking down.
• Why did the machine break down? The motor overheated.
• Why did the motor overheat? The cooling system failed.
• Why did the cooling system fail? The coolant pump malfunctioned.
• Why did the coolant pump malfunction? It wasn’t properly maintained.
• Why wasn’t the coolant pump properly maintained? There was no regular maintenance schedule in place.
• Root Cause: The lack of a regular maintenance schedule led to the coolant pump malfunction and subsequent machine breakdown.
• Solution: Implement a scheduled maintenance program for all machines to ensure proper upkeep and prevent breakdowns.

Example 2: Orders Not Being Fulfilled On Time

• Problem Statement: The order fulfillment process in an e-commerce company is experiencing delays.
• Why are there delays in the order fulfillment process? The warehouse staff is spending excessive time searching for products.
• Why are they spending excessive time searching for products? The products are not organized efficiently in the warehouse.
• Why are the products not organized efficiently? There is no standardized labeling system for product placement.
• Why is there no standardized labeling system? The inventory management software does not support it.
• Why doesn’t the inventory management software support a labeling system? The current software version is outdated and lacks the necessary features.
• Root Cause: The use of outdated inventory management software lacking labeling functionality leads to inefficient product organization and delays in the order fulfillment process.
• Solution: Upgrade the inventory management software to a newer version that supports a standardized labeling system, improving product organization and streamlining the order fulfillment process.

“Great leaders are, at their core, great problem-solvers. They take proactive measures to avoid conflicts and address issues when they arise.” Alison Griswold , Business and Economics Writer

Problem-solving is a skill that can be developed and improved over time. The Five Whys method is most effective when used in conjunction with other problem-solving tools and when utilized in a collaborative environment that encourages open communication and a willingness to honestly explore underlying causes. For the method to work well, “radical candor” needs to be utilized, and constructive feedback needs to be accepted.

Here are other strategies to assist in problem-solving, most of which can be used alongside the Five Whys:

• Gather and analyze information: Collect relevant data, facts, and information related to the problem. This could involve conducting research, talking to experts, or analyzing past experiences. Examine the information you’ve gathered and identify patterns, connections, and potential causes of the problem. Look for underlying factors and consider both the immediate and long-term implications.
• Have a brainstorming session: Collaborate with colleagues, seek advice from experts, or gather input from stakeholders. Different perspectives can bring fresh ideas. Gather a group of teammates and get out a whiteboard and a marker. Create a list of opportunities or problems and potential solutions. Encourage creativity and think outside the box. Consider different perspectives and approaches.
• Draw a cause-and-effect diagram: Make a chart with three columns, one each for challenges, causes, and effects. Use this to come up with solutions, then assess the pros and cons of each potential solution by considering the feasibility, potential risks, and benefits associated with each option. 
• Develop an action plan: Once you’ve selected the best solution(s), create a detailed action plan. Define the steps required to implement the solution, set timelines, and then track your progress.

Want to learn more about problem-solving using critical thinking? Check out this article:

Use Critical Thinking Skills to Excel at Problem-Solving

Leaders Media has established sourcing guidelines and relies on relevant, and credible sources for the data, facts, and expert insights and analysis we reference. You can learn more about our mission, ethics, and how we cite sources in our editorial policy .

• American Institute of Physics. Albert Einstein Image and Impact . History Exhibit. https://history.aip.org/exhibits/einstein/ae77.htm
• Indeed. 5 Whys Example: A Powerful Problem-Solving Tool for Career Development. Indeed Career Guide. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/5-whys-example
• Entrepreneur. 3 Steps to Creating a Culture of Problem Solvers . Entrepreneur – Leadership. https://www.entrepreneur.com/leadership/3-steps-to-creating-a-culture-of-problem-solvers/436071
• Harvard Business Review. (2010, April). The Five Whys for Startups. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2010/04/the-five-whys-for-startups
• Forbes. (2021, June 7). Understanding The Five Whys: How To Successfully Integrate This Tool Into Your Business . Forbes – Entrepreneurs. https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2021/06/07/understanding-the-five-whys-how-to-successfully-integrate-this-tool-into-your-business/?sh=5eda43675c18
• Think Design. Five Whys: Get to the Root of Any Problem Quickly. Think Design – User Design Research. https://think.design/user-design-research/five-whys
• Business Insider. (2013, November). The Problem-Solving Tactics of Great Leaders. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/problem-solving-tactics-of-great-leaders-2013-11

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The five whys method: how to unlock innovative ideas   

July 13, 2023 by MindManager Blog

In this article, we’ll delve into the powerful method of the five whys, which seamlessly combines brainstorming and problem-solving techniques . Find out how this method can help you determine the reasons behind problems, untangle issues, and devise clever solutions.  

What is the five whys root cause analysis?  

The five whys root cause analysis is a problem-solving technique used to identify the causes of an issue by asking, “Why?” repeatedly. It aims to uncover factors contributing to a problem rather than addressing surface-level details.   

The process involves starting with a problem statement and asking “Why?” to understand the immediate cause. The answer to the first “Why?” is then used to ask the second “Why?”. This recurring questioning continues until you reach the root cause of the problem or until it is no longer productive.  

The five whys method is used to dig deeper into a problem. By repeatedly asking “Why?” you can uncover apparent causes and less obvious factors contributing to the issue.  

Why use the five whys method? 

The five whys approach is effective for several reasons: 

• It promotes a thorough investigation of the problem, preventing rash conclusions and superficial explanations.  
• It encourages you to investigate underlying causes rather than surface level ideas. This helps you to address the problem at its core and leads to more effective and sustainable solutions.  
• It stimulates critical thinking and analysis because it requires individuals to think objectively about each answer to determine if it’s a symptom or a real cause. This mindset helps find the root causes and prevent the problem from reoccurring. 
• It facilitates learning and continuous improvement. By understanding the problem in full, organizations can enforce targeted actions. This improves processes, systems, and decision-making to prevent similar issues in the future.  

Overall, the five whys root cause analysis is a powerful tool for problem-solving. By promoting detailed investigation, critical thinking, and learning, the method helps to develop effective strategies for improvement.    

The five whys method in ten steps 

The five whys methodology typically requires a team of individuals with diverse expertise and perspectives. This can include stakeholders, subject matter experts, and individuals responsible for enforcing the solutions. 

The result of the five whys method is the ability to label a problem’s root cause and create a road map for action. By addressing the root cause, the five whys technique also prevents se recurrence of the problem, improve processes, and foster a culture of continuous improvement within the organization. 

The key steps in the five whys methodology are as follows: 

Step 1: State the problem 

Clearly articulate the problem or issue that needs to be addressed.   

Step 2: Build a team of brainstormers 

Gather a cross-functional team of individuals with knowledge and experience related to the problem.   

Step 3: Ask “Why?” at least five times 

Begin by asking why the problem occurred, and then continue asking “Why?” for each successive answer, delving deeper into the causes of the problem. Aim to reach the root cause by the fifth “Why?”.   

Step 4: Analyze, examine, and brainstorm 

Once the team identifies the root cause, analyze it and brainstorm to explore potential solutions.   

Step 5: Confirm the root cause of the issue 

Validate the identified root cause by assessing its alignment with the problem and the available evidence. Ensure that it is a genuine cause and not just a symptom. 

Step 6: Enforce corrective actions 

Develop and implement appropriate corrective actions that directly address the root cause. These actions should prevent the problem from recurring.   

Step 7: Monitor, observe, and evaluate the results 

Continuously monitor the effectiveness of the implemented solutions and assess their impact on resolving the problem. 

Step 8: Revise and repeat 

If the problem persists or new issues arise, repeat the five whys process to reassess and adjust the analysis and solutions accordingly.   

Step 9: Communicate and document your findings 

Maintain clear communication within the team and document the problem, root cause, and implemented solutions for future reference and organizational learning.   

Step 10: Encourage continuous improvement 

Encourage a culture of ongoing problem-solving and learning within the organization. Use the five whys process insights to improve processes, systems, and decision-making. 

Five whys example: Identifying a root cause problem  

As stated, the five whys method helps identify the root cause of an issue. In this example, the five whys help a team get to the bottom of a production problem. 

The problem : The production line in a manufacturing company is experiencing frequent breakdowns, leading to delays and reduced productivity. The team uses the five whys to understand the problem from the inside out.  

Q: Why did the production line break down?  

A: Because a critical machine overheated and shut down. 

Q: Why did the machine overheat and shut down?  

A: Because the cooling system failed to function properly. 

Q: Why did the cooling system fail to function properly?  

A: Because the coolant levels were consistently low. 

Q: Why were the coolant levels consistently low?  

A: Because there was a leak in the coolant reservoir. 

Q: Why was there a leak in the coolant reservoir?  

A: Because the reservoir was damaged due to improper maintenance. 

Root Cause : The root cause of the production line breakdown is the lack of proper maintenance, resulting in a damaged coolant reservoir and a coolant leakage. 

Based on this analysis, the company can now focus on implementing corrective actions that address the root cause. This may involve improving the maintenance schedule, conducting regular inspections, and repairing or replacing damaged equipment.  

By addressing the root cause, the company can prevent future breakdowns and improve the overall efficiency and productivity of the production line. 

Five whys example: Brainstorming a solution  

The five whys technique can be used to brainstorm to find the best solution to a problem. Below is a brainstorming example of how the five whys can be used: 

Problem : The sales of a new product have been declining rapidly. The team uses the five why method to brainstorm and find a solution.   

Q: Why are the sales of the new product declining?  

A: Because customers are finding the price too high compared to similar products in the market.   

Q: Why do customers find the price too high?  

A: Because they perceive the value provided by the product to be lower than its price.   

Q: Why do customers perceive the value to be low?  

A: Because the product lacks certain features that competitors’ products offer. 

Q: Why does the product lack those features?  

A: Because the development team did not conduct thorough market research to identify customer needs and preferences.   

Q: Why didn’t the development team conduct thorough market research?  

A: Because there was a lack of resources and time allocated for proper market analysis.   

Solution : Based on the five whys analysis, increasing sales of the new product could involve the following: 

• Conducting comprehensive market research to identify customer needs and preferences. 
• Incorporating the missing features that competitors’ products offer. 
• Reevaluating the pricing strategy to align with the perceived value of customers. 
• Allocating adequate resources and time for market analysis and product development. 

By addressing these solutions, the company can improve the product’s competitiveness, better meet customer expectations, and potentially increase sales. 

The five whys method helps in brainstorming by revealing the underlying causes and guiding the identification of appropriate solutions. 

The five whys tips checklist   

If you’re looking to use the five whys method for brainstorming or solving a problem, use these tips to help:   

• Dig deeper with “How?”. In addition to repeatedly asking “Why?”, incorporate “How?” questions to explore the process that led to the problem.    
• Encourage participation from all team members. Ensure that all team members have an opportunity to add their insights and perspectives. 
• Avoid assigning blame. The method is not about finding fault or blaming individuals. Instead, focus on understanding the systemic causes and identifying solutions collaboratively.   
• Use visual aids. Utilize visual aids such as flowcharts, diagrams, or mind maps to visualize cause-and-effect relationships.  
• Seek outside perspectives. If necessary, involve external experts or advisors who can provide fresh insights and challenge existing ideas.   
• Consider multiple root causes. Be open to the possibility that there may not be a definitive root cause. Explore multiple causes to gain a complete understanding. 

Supercharge your brainstorming with the five whys method! Explore MindManager, the ultimate mind mapping tool, to unlock innovative ideas and enhance collaboration.  

Elevate your ideation sessions and maximize your team’s potential. Sign up for a free trial  now and unleash the power of the five whys brainstorming method with MindManager! 

Five whys frequently asked questions (FAQs) 

Below are three commonly asked questions about the five whys technique and how you and your team can use it to solve problems.   

What is the five whys root cause analysis?   

The five whys root cause analysis is a method that involves asking “Why?” over and over to uncover the underlying cause of a problem.  

By continuously diving deeper into the causes, you can identify the actual root cause and provide insights for problem-solving and preventive measures. 

What are the key steps in the five whys method?  

The ten key steps in the five whys method include: 

• State the problem. 
• Build a team of brainstormers. 
• Ask “Why” at least five times. 
• Analyze, examine, and brainstorm. 
• Confirm the root cause of the issue. 
• Enforce corrective actions. 
• Monitor, observe, and evaluate the results. 
• Revise and repeat. 
• Communicate and document your findings. 
• Encourage continuous improvement.   

What types of problems can five whys help solve?  

The five whys method can help solve various problems across many domains. It is particularly effective for addressing complex or recurring issues that require deeper understanding and systematic problem-solving.  

It can be applied to problems related to: 

• Product defects 
• Process inefficiencies 
• Customer complaints 
• Service failures 
• Project delays 
• Interpersonal conflicts.  

By identifying the underlying causes and root issues, the five whys method enables organizations to implement targeted solutions and prevent the problems from recurring. 

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5 Whys Root Cause Analysis Exercise (+Template)

Mistakes , challenges, and problems will always arise at work. However, what sets individuals, teams, departments, and organizations apart is how they overcome these situations. When issues occur, are they brushed off to continue to happen again or again? Or are they evaluated and examined deeply to understand why it happened and how to avoid it in the future? 

Taking the time to understand the deeper issue behind a particular situation can be the linchpin to success. That’s why employers are putting an emphasis on hiring and promoting employees who have problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. Monster found in their 2021 Future of Work Global Outlook report that these skills were the third most important skill and the number one skill gap in employees . If you’re looking for an exercise to help yourself or a team with critical thinking and working through a problem, the 5 Whys is what you need. In this blog, we will explore what the 5 whys root cause analysis is, how to run this exercise, and a template to do so.

Table of Contents:

What is the 5 whys root cause analysis, what are the steps in the 5 whys root cause analysis, 5 whys template.

The 5 Whys Root Cause Analysis is an exercise that aims to identify the underlying cause of a problem by continually asking “why” until the cause is pinpointed. It’s a simple yet powerful exercise for individual and team problem-solving and understanding the deeper issues behind a certain situation.

The purpose of the 5 Whys exercise is to go beyond the apparent or surface-level reason.  The goal is to find the root cause and underlying issues contributing to a problem. By understanding the true nature of the problem, organizations, teams, and individuals can implement effective solutions that prevent the problem from recurring in the future.

The 5 Whys Root Cause Analysis exercise was developed by the founder of Toyota, Sakichi Toyoda . This technique is closely related to the Toyota Production System and the larger philosophy of Lean manufacturing. While the origin of the 5 Whys can be attributed to and popularized by Toyota, since its creation, the concept of asking “why” multiple times to uncover the root cause of a problem has become a widely used problem-solving technique across industries.

Whether you’re going through the exercise on your own or leading a team through it, the process and goal are the same - drill down to the root cause of the problem by asking “why.” While it is a simple exercise, it encourages deeper thinking and analysis that leads to resolving issues that otherwise would have been superficially “solved.”

How to conduct The 5 Whys Exercise

• Identify the problem
• Ask “why” the problem occurred to identify the immediate cause
• Ask “why” again
• Reach the root cause by continuing to ask “why”
• Address the root cause by creating a plan of action

Step 1: Identify the problem Clearly define the problem or issue that needs to be addressed. It should be specific and well-defined. A best practice is to write it down and keep it at the top of the page.

Step 2: Ask "why" the problem occurred to identify the immediate cause Begin by asking why the problem occurred. This question helps to identify the immediate or surface-level cause and will be the most apparent reason contributing to the problem.

Step 3: Ask “why” again From the answer obtained in step 2, continue asking "why" to dig deeper into the causes. With each additional “why” question, the goal is to uncover a more profound reason that contributed to the previous cause. Each subsequent "why" question should be based on the answer to the last question.

Step 4: Reach the root cause by continuing to ask “why” Continue asking "why" until you reach a point where the answers are no longer helpful or practical. The number of times "why" is asked may vary depending on the complexity of the problem and the information available. Examine the answers obtained from each round of “why’ to find commonalities or patterns to uncover the actual root cause of the problem.

Step 5: Address the root cause by creating a plan of action  Once the root cause of the problem is identified, an action plan can be created to address and resolve it. You’ll want to brainstorm and develop countermeasures that eliminate or mitigate the root cause to prevent the problem from happening in the future.

Conclusion: Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking Can Make a Big Impact

Problem-solving and critical thinking are coveted skills. Having employees with these competencies is essential to organizations because it enables individuals and teams to reflect, learn from mistakes , and find solutions to improve and overcome problems. While the 5 Whys exercise is a great tool to assist in problem-solving, the value of team training , where individuals develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills, can make a real difference to performance. 

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Critical Thinking Via 5 Whys and First Principles

This technique can work well (here’s a real-world example from a kitchen range manufacturer) but has its limitations. In a complex situation, you can suffer from tunnel vision which might lead to an incorrect conclusion. To counteract this, there are variants of the 5 Whys technique which intentionally create branches (alternative theories) and therefore explore new ground. In mathematics this is called avoiding a local maximum to search for a global maximum. For those interested in learning more, here’s a good article on variants of the 5 Whys technique.

The recent Elon Musk-fueled craze around first principle thinking reminded me that everything old is new again. First principle thinking, for those who haven’t seen the endless articles trumpeting this breakthrough, is a mode of thinking “designed to relentlessly pursue the foundations of any given problem from fundamental truths.” In science, theoretical work is considered to be from first principles if it starts directly with established science and doesn’t rely on assumptions. This approach isn’t really new: A case can be made it originated more than 2000 years ago with Aristotle.

Confused? Here’s a frequently-referenced video of Elon describing how first principles thinking challenged the traditional economics of making batteries:

5 Whys and First Principles are both examples of critical thinking but differ in how they approach the problem. 5 Whys is top down; starting with the observed result and trying to discover the underlying cause. On the other hand, the First Principles approach builds from basic truths to discover new solutions. Each has merit and is appropriate in different circumstances. When in doubt, try them both.

Regardless of which approach you use, the key to critical thinking is to be sensitive to your built-in biases and learn to challenge surface explanations. Be sure to ask more questions; just remember it’s hard to ask good questions .

5 Whys , critical thinking , Elon Musk , First Principles

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Root Cause Analysis – The 5 Whys Technique

This elementary and often effective approach to problem-solving promotes deep thinking through questioning, and can be adapted quickly and applied to most problems. For example, asking “Why?” may be a favorite technique of your three-year-old child in driving you crazy, but it could teach you a valuable problem-solving technique.

“If you don’t ask the right questions, you don’t get the right answers. A question asked in the right way often points to its answer. Asking questions is the ABC of diagnosis. Only the inquiring mind solves problems.” – Edward Hodnett

The “5 Whys” is a simple problem-solving technique that helps you to get to the root of a problem quickly, which was originally developed by Sakichi Toyota. It was used within the Toyota Motor Corporation during the evolution of its manufacturing methodologies. It is a critical component of problem-solving training, delivered as part of the induction into the Toyota Production System.

How to Conduct 5 Whys Analysis?

When you’re looking to solve a problem, start at the result and work backward (toward the root cause), continually asking: “Why?” You’ll need to repeat this over and over until the root cause of the problem becomes apparent.

The 5 Whys strategy involves looking at any problem and asking: “Why?” and “What caused this problem?” Very often, the answer to the first “why” will prompt another “why” and the answer to the second “why” will prompt another and so on; hence the name the 5 Whys strategy.

The 5 Whys exercise is vastly improved when applied by a team and there are five basic steps to conducting it:

• Write down the specific problem. Writing the issue helps you formalize the problem and describe it completely. It also helps a team focus on the same problem.
• Ask “Why” the problem happens and write the answer down below the problem.
• If the answer you just provided doesn’t identify the root cause of the problem that you wrote down in Step 1, ask “Why” again and write that answer down.
• Loopback to step 3 until the team is in agreement that the problem’s root cause is identified. Again, this may take fewer or more times than five Whys.
• After settling on the most probable root cause of the problem and obtaining confirmation of the logic behind the analysis, develop appropriate corrective actions to remove the root cause from the system.

Edit this Diagram

5 Whys Example

The vehicle will not start. (The problem)

• Why? – The battery is dead. (First why)
• Why? – The alternator is not functioning. (Second why)
• Why? – The alternator belt has broken. (Third why)
• Why? – The alternator belt was well beyond its useful service life and not replaced. (Fourth why)
• Why? – The vehicle was not maintained according to the recommended service schedule. (Fifth why, a root cause)

Note: A 5 Whys analysis sometime could be taken further to a sixth, seventh, or higher level, but five iterations of asking why are generally sufficient to get to a root cause.

5-Whys Criticisms

Here are each of the criticisms as listed on the Wikipedia:

• Stopping at symptoms, not the root cause
• Limited by the investigator’s knowledge.
• Not asking the right Why questions.
• Not repeatable – Different people build different 5 Whys.
• The tendency to isolate a single root cause

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Also known as Five Whys.

Variants include Therefore Test and So What Test.

The 5 Whys technique is widely recognized as a valuable approach for problem-solving and root cause analysis. It is also one of the simplest techniques and easiest to put into practice. It is used in everyday business situations to identify the possible causes underlying a specific problem. Originally introduced and popularized by Toyota through their Toyota Production System, it has gained widespread adoption within Lean and Six Sigma frameworks.

The 5 Whys technique serves as a cause-and-effect analysis tool, enabling the identification of potential sources of process variation. Yet, it is so simple that can be implemented without collecting data and without the need for advanced statistical techniques. By repeatedly asking the question, “Why does this happen?” in relation to a problem, waste , or defect, valuable insights can be uncovered. Each answer obtained forms the basis for the subsequent question in the analysis.

By asking “Why” multiple times, a deeper understanding of the problem can be obtained, ultimately revealing the underlying root cause. This approach adds depth to the problem-solving process and encourages a comprehensive examination that goes beyond surface-level symptoms and assumptions. Once the true root cause is identified, the chance for an effective solution significantly improves.

The following is a commonly referenced example to explain the 5 Whys technique:

Typically, the practice of asking “Why” five times consecutively is generally enough to get you quite close to the root cause of a problem. Five seems to be is a good starting point, however, you may find that you need to ask “Why” more or less times depending on the situation. The objective is to get to a place where you can address the core of the problem. The key to identifying the root cause is to keep looking and you will eventually get to the true cause which you can act on right away.

Once the cause of a problem has been determined, it is important to implement corrective actions for resolution. Remember that each answer obtained through the “Why” questioning serves as a hypothesis that can be validated through process testing. Validating the truth of every answer helps in discovering the true root cause, or at least, ensures that you are supporting your answers with evidence and data.

5 Whys can be applied individually or as part of a comprehensive cause-and-effect analysis. Its effectiveness can be enhanced by combining it with other methods such as fishbone analysis, brainstorming and root cause analysis. Sometimes, you may have more than one factor that contributes to the problem. Other times, the problem is too complex to be analyzed in a straightforward manner.

When multiple factors contribute to a single problem, a fishbone diagram can assist in identifying and organizing all potential causes. Once all possible causes are identified on the fishbone diagram, the 5 Whys approach can be employed to drill down to the root causes for each possible cause. However, it is important to note that the 5 Whys technique is best suited for simple problems with limited or even one possible root cause. Complex problems often need more advanced analysis techniques.

The 5 Whys technique can be employed both in a team setting or individually. When it is undertaken as a collaborative exercise, team members should have a clear understanding of the problem at hand. It can be more effective when the participants consist of front-end operators and Subject Matter Experts, which enhances the effectiveness of the process. It is advisable to involve individuals experienced in the relevant processes and seek assistance when necessary.

Using the 5 Whys Approach

• With your team, write a clear and specific problem statement. Ensure your problem is relevant and solving it will make a difference.
• Ask “Why the problem occurs?”. Write the answer down below the problem.
• Ask Why again for the generated answer and write the answer down.
• Keep asking Why until the team identify the root cause of the problem, or until you get the answer “I don’t know”.
• Once you are finished, discuss and agree on the corrective actions that will permanently correct the problem.

Note: Avoid vague or broad answers even though they may be true. Answers must be specific enough to help solve the problem.

Example – Delayed Test Results

In this particular case, a team effectively employed the 5 Whys approach to uncover the reason behind a customer complaint regarding the delayed test results at a laboratory.

Notice in this example that only four Whys were required to get to what looks to be the root cause.

Example – Maintenance Department

Here’s another example that demonstrates the use of the 5 Whys approach to address a concern raised during a Lean Six Sigma workshop.

Note that you can carry on asking Why and ask, “why doesn’t maintenance department have a schedule for routine activities?”. This will get you to a deeper level where you need to improve the business process in order to solve the problem.

Source: Smallpeice Enterprises (www.smallpeice.co.uk)

There are numerous tools available to assist in the application of the 5 Whys technique for problem analysis. One of the most straightforward approaches involves utilizing this 5 Whys Template .

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, the 5 Whys technique is a simple yet powerful approach for problem-solving and root cause analysis within Lean and Six Sigma frameworks. By repeatedly asking “Why” in response to a problem, it reveals valuable insights and ultimately uncovers the underlying root cause. In complex scenarios, more advanced analysis methods may be necessary. After identifying the cause, corrective actions need to be taken to permanently correct the problem.

Other Formats

Do you want to use the slides in your training courses?

5 Whys Training Material – $18.85

Related Articles

Fishbone Diagram

Why-Why Diagram

Related Templates

Affinity Diagram

Written by:

CIToolkit Content Team

What is it?

The 5 whys is a problem solving strategy used to explore the underlying reason for a particular problem.

Over a series of ‘why’ questions the questioner(s) follows a problem through to its root cause to discover the real reasons behind a problem rather than have the discussion stay focused on superficial issues.

Why use it?

Asking ‘5 why’ questions can develop students’ problem-solving abilities and their capacity to detect process issues.

The 5 whys could be used to unpack real life examples of problems in practice. It can be used to:

• analyse a series of prompt questions, problems or scenarios
• scaffold the idea of causation, and the process of unpacking problems
• encourage critical thinking

How does it work?

Explain to the class the rationale behind the ‘5 Whys’ process, highlighting the need to stay focused on the central issue and keep the process moving (only one or two minutes per question). Stress that no ‘one’ pathway will satisfactorily solve every problem. Discern the broad focus area and pose the initial ‘Why’ question to learning teams. After each student briefly suggests an answer to the first ‘why’, the team chooses the response that meets general agreement and frames a second why question. The same process is framed for the next three questions and then the group is asked to report back.

Provide the students with a 5 whys or “fishbone” worksheet, or whiteboard markers. Set the problem or scenario and allow them to work through a set of 5 why questions. You can use the visualizer to share worksheets with the class and discuss outcomes.

Additional resources

A 5 whys worksheet template and example can be downloaded here.

Acknowledgement

This resource is based on the “Not a waste of space” project materials produced by RMIT University and the University of Melbourne, with the support of the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching. Used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Except where otherwise noted, this content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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The Five Whys – Encouraging Inquiry in the Classroom

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One of the most useful questions in any language is ‘Why?’ It’s one of the fundamental metaphysical questions that we spend most of our lives wrestling with, and one of the first question words we produce as our first language emerges as young children.

Why? is also at the root of our ability to think critically, but all too often we settle for the first and most obvious answer, when instead, like young children, we should continue to question and dig deeper into the underlying causes and motivations behind actions.

In a recent webinar on Emotional Intelligence and Coaching , I included a technique that I borrowed from product development and showed how this technique could be used in the teaching and teacher training classroom. The ‘5 whys’ technique originally came from Sakichi Toyoda the founder of the Toyota manufacturing company and was a method used to analyse production failures and find the root causes, but we can just as usefully implement it in our teaching and training to encourage our students and trainee teachers to think more carefully about what happens in the classroom and the world around them.

The technique is simple. Just like my small daughter, you ask ‘Why?’ and after each explanation, you continue to ask ‘Why?’ and this takes you into deeper levels of causation.

An example from the training classroom may be that you observe a class in which some of the students fail to understand the instructions of a task, and so they do the wrong task or do it in the wrong way. So let’s ask 5 times why that happened.

Q: Why were the students doing the wrong activity? A: Because they misunderstood the instructions. Q: Why did they misunderstand the instructions? A: Because they were too long and complex. Q: Why were they too long and complex? A: Because I used complex vocabulary and long sentences. Q: Why did you use complex vocabulary and long sentences? A: Because I hadn’t thought the instructions out before the class. Q: Why hadn’t you thought out the instructions before the class? A: Because ….

As you can see from this dialogue, by continuing to dig you can extract much more actionable information about real causes.

So how can you apply this with students?

You can encourage students to look more closely at the motivation of characters in stories or people in the news. For example, we can ask questions about Goldilocks:

Q: Why were the three bears angry with Goldilocks? A: Because she ate their porridge and broke their furniture? Q: Why did she break their furniture? A: Because she was too big? Q: Why was she too big? A: Because the furniture was made for a small bear. Q: Why was the furniture made for a small bear? A: Because it was in the bears’ house? Q: Why was Goldilocks in the house? A: Because …

You can encourage students to do this form of questioning in pairs. Either one student can ask the questions and the other answer, or they can take turns to answer then ask.

Another way of using this technique is to look for alternative answers and then build the possibilities out like a mind map with the initial question at the centre, then students or trainee teachers can decide which alternative is most likely.

This example is based around a teacher training scenario in which the teacher feels the students are bored. In the example, you can see that I have put the main problem at the centre and the initial possible causes around it. I’ve started mapping out the possible reasons behind why this happened.

You can use this technique to get trainee teachers or even students looking at classroom related problems.

We can use the technique to get students to think more critically about the news or why someone has published certain news items.

As you can see, the question ‘Why?’ is fundamental to understanding and encouraging curiosity, but all too often we are willing to accept the first answer we are offered without digging deeper to the root causes. Using and teaching this technique can really help us to build a more inquisitive learning experience and deeper view of the world for our students.

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5 whys: The Power of Asking "Why?" Five Times

The Power of Asking "Why?" Five Times: A Deep Dive into the 5 Whys Method

In any problem-solving process, it's essential to identify the root cause of the issue to solve it effectively. That's where the 5 Whys method comes in.

This simple yet powerful technique involves asking "why?" five times to get to the heart of the problem. By doing so, you can address the underlying cause of the issue and develop long-term solutions.

In this article, we'll explore the 5 Whys method and its benefits. We'll also provide you with practical tips on how to use it effectively in your personal and professional life.

What is the 5 Whys method?

The 5 Whys method is a problem-solving technique that was first introduced by Sakichi Toyoda, the founder of Toyota Industries, in the 1930s. The idea behind the method is to ask "why?" five times in a row to get to the root cause of a problem. Each subsequent "why?" builds on the answer to the previous question, allowing you to delve deeper into the issue.

How does the 5 Whys method work?

Let's say that your car won't start. You might ask yourself, "Why won't my car start?" Your first answer might be, "The battery is dead." You would then ask yourself, "Why is the battery dead?" Your second answer might be, "The alternator is not charging the battery.

" You would then ask yourself, "Why is the alternator not charging the battery?" Your third answer might be, "The alternator belt is broken ." You would then ask yourself, "Why is the alternator belt broken?" Your fourth answer might be,

"The belt was well past its replacement date, and I didn't get it replaced." You would then ask yourself, "Why didn't I get the belt replaced?" Your fifth and final answer might be, "I forgot about it."

By asking "why?" five times, you have identified the root cause of the problem: forgetting to replace the alternator belt. Now you can take steps to prevent this problem from happening in the future.

What are the benefits of the 5 Whys method?

The 5 Whys method offers several benefits, including:

Identifying the root cause of the problem

By asking "Why?" five times, you can get to the heart of the issue and identify the underlying cause of the problem . This allows you to develop effective long-term solutions rather than just addressing the symptoms of the issue.

Encouraging critical thinking

The 5 Whys method encourages critical thinking by forcing you to examine the issue from different angles. It helps you avoid jumping to conclusions and making assumptions.

Promoting teamwork

The 5 Whys method is an excellent tool for team problem-solving. By involving multiple team members in the process, you can get a broader perspective on the issue and come up with more effective solutions.

How to use the 5 Whys method effectively

To use the 5 Whys method effectively, follow these practical tips:

Define the problem clearly

Before you start asking "Why?" five times, make sure you have a clear understanding of the problem you are trying to solve . Be specific about the issue you are trying to address.

Involve the right people

If you are using the 5 Whys method in a team setting, make sure you involve the right people. You want to have a diverse group of individuals with different perspectives and expertise.

Ask open-ended questions

When asking "Why?" make sure you ask open-ended questions that encourage discussion and exploration. Avoid closed-ended questions that limit the conversation.

Avoid blame

The 5 Whys method is not about blaming individuals for problems. Instead, it's about finding the root cause of the issue so that it can be addressed and prevented in the future. Make sure the focus is on finding solutions rather than assigning blame.

Keep it simple

The 5 Whys method should be straightforward and easy to understand. Avoid using technical jargon or complex language that might confuse people.

Use it proactively

The 5 Whys method can also be used proactively to identify potential problems before they occur. By asking "why?" five times, you can uncover potential issues and address them before they become significant problems.

Real-world applications of the 5 Whys method

The 5 Whys method can be used in a wide range of industries and situations. Here are some examples:

Manufacturing

In manufacturing, the 5 Whys method can be used to identify the root cause of defects in products. By doing so, manufacturers can make improvements to their processes and prevent similar defects from occurring in the future.

In healthcare, the 5 Whys method can be used to identify the root cause of medical errors or patient safety incidents. By doing so, healthcare providers can develop processes and procedures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

In business, the 5 Whys method can be used to identify the root cause of problems such as low employee morale, poor customer satisfaction, or low productivity. By doing so, businesses can make improvements to their processes and address the underlying issues.

The 5 Whys method is a simple yet powerful problem-solving technique that can be used in a wide range of situations.

By asking "why?" five times, you can identify the root cause of an issue and develop effective long-term solutions. When using the 5 Whys method, it's essential to define the problem clearly, involve the right people, ask open-ended questions, avoid blame, keep it simple, and use it proactively.

By following these tips, you can use the 5 Whys method to its full potential and achieve better outcomes in your personal and professional life.

FAQs: 5 Whys

Is the 5 whys method the only problem-solving technique.

No, there are several other problem-solving techniques, such as root cause analysis, fishbone diagrams, and SWOT analysis.

Can the 5 Whys method be used in personal situations?

Yes, the 5 Whys method can be used in personal situations such as identifying the cause of a relationship issue or a personal problem.

How many people should be involved in the 5 Whys method?

It depends on the situation. In some cases, a single person can use the 5 Whys method to solve a problem . In other cases, a team may be required.

How long does it take to complete the 5 Whys method?

It depends on the complexity of the issue being addressed. In some cases, it may only take a few minutes, while in others, it may take several hours.

Is the 5 Whys method foolproof?

No, the 5 Whys method is not foolproof. It is just one tool in a problem-solving toolbox and should be used in conjunction with other techniques.

Additional 5 Why Information

5 Whys Analysis : The 5 Whys analysis is a problem-solving technique that involves asking "why?" five times to uncover the root cause of an issue. It is a simple and effective way to get to the heart of a problem and develop long-term solutions.

5 Whys Template : A 5 Whys template is a tool that can be used to guide the process of asking "Why?" five times. It typically includes spaces to document the answers to each of the five questions and helps to keep the process organized.

5 Whys Example : An example of the 5 Whys technique in action might be investigating why a customer is unhappy with a product or service. By asking "why?" five times, the company could identify the root cause of the issue and take steps to address it.

5 Whys Technique : The 5 Whys technique is a problem-solving method that involves asking "why?" five times to uncover the root cause of an issue. It is a useful tool in a wide range of industries and situations.

5 Whys Method : The 5 Whys method is a structured approach to problem-solving that involves asking "why?" five times to get to the root cause of an issue. It is a simple yet powerful tool that can be used in many different situations.

5 Whys Problem Solving : The 5 Whys problem-solving technique is a way to identify the root cause of an issue by asking "Why?" five times. It is an effective way to get to the heart of a problem and develop long-term solutions.

5 Whys Template Word : A 5 Whys template in Word is a document that can be used to guide the process of asking "why?" five times. It can be customized to suit the needs of a particular situation.

5 Whys Root Cause Analysis Example : A root cause analysis using the 5 Whys method might involve investigating why a manufacturing process is producing defective products . By asking "why?" five times, the root cause of the defects could be identified and addressed.

5 Whys Six Sigma : The 5 Whys technique is a valuable tool in the Six Sigma process, which focuses on improving quality and efficiency in manufacturing and other industries.

Root Cause Analysis 5 Whys Template : A root cause analysis using the 5 Whys method can be facilitated by using a template that guides the process of asking "why?" five times. This helps to keep the process organized and focused.

What are the 5 Whys Questions : The 5 Whys questions are a set of five questions that are used to identify the root cause of a problem. They are typically phrased as "Why did this happen?" and repeated five times.

How are the 5 Whys used : The 5 Whys are used to identify the root cause of a problem by asking "Why?" five times. This helps to get to the heart of the issue and develop long-term solutions.

Jefferson Memorial 5 Whys : The Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. is an example of the 5 Whys technique in action. The memorial was experiencing water infiltration, and the 5 Whys were used to identify the root cause of the problem.

Using the 5 Whys is a Helpful Way to : Using the 5 Whys is a helpful way to get to the root cause of a problem and develop long-term solutions. It is a simple and effective problem-solving technique that can be used in many different situations.

Sakichi Toyoda 5 Whys : Sakichi Toyoda, the founder of Toyota Industries, is credited with developing the 5 Whys technique as a way to improve the company's manufacturing processes. The technique has since been adopted by many other industries and has become a widely used problem-solving method.

Final thoughts

The 5 Whys is a problem-solving technique used to determine the root cause of a problem. It involves asking "why" at least five times to drill down to the underlying issue causing the problem.

For example, if a machine in a factory stopped working, the first "why" could be, "Why did the machine stop working?" The second "why" could be, "Why did the machine's motor fail?" The third "why" could be, "Why was there a short circuit in the motor?" The fourth "why" could be, "Why wasn't the motor properly maintained?" And the fifth "why" could be, "Why wasn't there a regular maintenance schedule for the motor?"

By asking "why" at least five times, the root cause of the problem can be identified, and the necessary actions can be taken to prevent it from happening again in the future.

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The 5 Whys is a simple yet powerful problem-solving tool that encourages users to ask “why” repeatedly to identify the root cause of a problem. This technique aims to sidestep surface-level symptoms and delve deeper into the underlying issues behind a problem. Developed by Sakichi Toyoda, the method was first implemented in Toyota’s manufacturing process but is now used widely in business.

How Does it Work?

It is as simple as following these steps:

• Identify the problem or issue you are looking to solve.
• Ask “why” it occurred. This should be a simple, open-ended question. Remember you are just looking for one piece of information right now. Also, try and avoid making questions accusatory as little benefit will come of this.
• Take the answers to the first “why” and ask “why” again. Repeat the process, using the answers to each previous question as the basis for the next question. The word ‘answers’ is in plural because why stop at one answer each time? There may be multiple root causes.
• Ask “why” five times, or until you have identified the root cause of the problem. In practice, it is probably best not to get fixated on the number 5 and yet the invitation is not to be satisfied until you are reasonably sure you have reached the root cause.
• Once you have, find deeper questions that will help you develop and implement a solution. See the example below.

Remember, like any method, the 5 Whys is not a one-size-fits-all solution and may not be effective for all problems. Additionally, the effectiveness of the method depends on the quality of the questions asked and the ability to accurately identify the root cause. However, when used effectively, the 5 Whys method can be a powerful tool for problem-solving and ongoing improvement.

Real Life Example

• Why are customers not converting? – Because they can’t really see the benefits.
• Why can’t they see the benefits? – Possibly because our pitch is too vague.
• Why might the pitch be too vague? – Because we are not 100% clear on the value we offer.
• Why are we not clear on the value we offer? – Because we have not worked out how to tell clients.
• Why have you not worked out how to tell clients?
• Possibly because we know the service inside out, have experienced it ourselves and really see the benefits but are explaining it to people who have not, and words can only express so much. Rather than tell people about it, how might we allow people to experience it? Who might help with this?
• Another possibility is that we are focusing on the wrong things – on the features and logistics. We may be telling them how it works but not why they need it. Are we telling a compelling story? Who might help with this?

Conclusion – we likely need potential clients to experience it rather than understand it.

Questions in the Image:

• Why are customers not converting?
• Why, Why, Why, Why…

Want to Read More Around this Topic?

The Five Whys for Start-Ups by Eric Ries (link to HBR). I have failed to find a quality book that explores this method. Next best is this interesting article by the author of the Lean Start-up that is specifically focused on using the 5 Whys method in the context of a start-up. Interesting reading for anyone looking to get to grips with how it can work in different contexts.

Nurturing Curiosity – Daily Practice : This is part of the Nurturing Curiosity series of tools, insights and questions designed to help nurture curiosity as part of our daily practice. In point of fact, every interaction we have is an opportunity to question what we are observing and how we and others are seeing the world. Also remember that questions come in many forms throughout our day – a random offer of a chocolate treat might be an opportunity to ask How can I offer a moment of kindness to someone?

About Tom O’Leary

My mission is to help others think differently – meaning more broadly and deeply – and thereby make better decisions. The key to thinking differently lies in our curiosity.

The more we question, the more possible answers we uncover, and the more we expand what we thought possible. Life has taught me that possibility lies not so much in seeking answers but in learning to ask better questions – the ones that help prioritise what is truly essential.

And yet, in a culture obsessed with efficiency and productivity, the paradox is that much energy and resources are wasted by a bias towards action over contemplation. If you are answering the wrong question, it doesn’t matter how ‘hard’ you work, you are still answering the wrong question.

That is why I am a big advocate of nurturing curiosity and innovative thinking at all ages, particularly amongst leaders because of the impact they have on us all. In my vision, leaders aren’t boxed in by traditional thinking or established playbooks. They are curious, open to fresh ideas and diverse perspectives, fostering a culture of exploration and learning.

How Might Tom Help?

• My first invitation is to take maximum advantage of the free content on this site, including signing up for my newsletter .
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• If you would benefit from a face-to-face conversation, consider signing up for a Decision Coaching package (initial call plus follow up call).

If you feel you would benefit from a chat without having to sign up for decision coaching, click on the button below to join the waiting list for the opportunity to speak face-to-face. No charge! You just need to make a case as to why we should speak.

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What Might be Possible If We Believed It Were Possible?

Questions have a strange power. They can release us from what we believe to be true by offering us glimpses of something different. Indeed, there are times in that brief moment after a question is asked when it feels like anything is possible.

How then can be capture more such moments and infuse them into our decision-making? The science of decision-making is in truth an art we spend our lives practicing. The same goes for curiosity and innovative thinking.

We make decisions all day every day. Some echo for minutes, others for months whilst a few echo throughout our lives. How do we distinguish and decide accordingly?

That is why I am a big advocate of nurturing curiosity and innovative thinking at all ages. If you are a leader, you will no doubt already know that continually nurturing curiosity in leadership is absolutely key. In many ways, leadership begins with self-leadership , which is in turn built on a deep sense of curiosity about who you are as a person and as a leader and at its core about how you make decisions. In fact, how did you decide to read this? And, what will you decide to do next?

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How then can be capture more such moments and infuse them into the building blocks of our lives, namely the countless decisions we make every day? The science of decision-making is in truth an art we spend our lives practicing. The same goes for the other critical soft skills we need to nurture if we are to truly think differently , particularly if we are in leadership .

In a world rushing towards the next thing, my invitation is to focus on contemplation over mere action. By slowing down enough to nurture curiosity and find deeper insights, we ensure that we are at least answering the right question, saving energy and resources and obtaining better outcomes .

Afterall, if we are answering the wrong question, it doesn’t matter how ‘hard’ we work, we are still answering the wrong question.

In fact, what question matters most to you right now?

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A collection of workshop exercises that will help you ditch dull meetings and facilitate with confidence. It will help you master the design process and have more productive time with your team. The card deck will be ready for purchase in the end of 2023 and is now undergoing rigorous testing.

Instructions for running this play

• Prepare a problem statement before the meeting and discuss it first thing.
• Distribute sticky notes to each player, asking them to number five of them 1 through 5
• Ask the participants to review the problem statement and ask themselves WHY it’s a problem.
• Ask WHY five times, including the previous answer in the next question to narrow focus on the problem.
• Have each participant Playback their chain of questions to the group
• Rewrite the problem statement based on your findings

• Consider finishing off with a Who/What/When exercise or even a How Might We… to follow up.

Tips to perfect this play

Master and adapt the play to fit your context and needs.

Ask in different ways. What caused [problem]? What led to [problem]? What are the conditions under which [problem] occurred? What contributed to [problem]?

The Five, Six, Seven, Eight Whys. Keep asking “why” until the team agrees you’ve hit a meaningful level of root cause.

Tip: Five Hows

Instead of asking "Why?" for each response, ask "How?" to explore the factors and actions that contribute to the problem or issue.

Related plays

• Fishbone Diagram
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• How Might We
• Who / What / When Matrix
• Hypothesis Statement
• 5 Whys Template
• The 5 Whys by Dave Gray
• Complete Guide to the 5 Whys Exercise by Atlassian
• 5 Whys Exercise

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Parent Resources for Learning > Critical Thinking > 5 Fun Critical Thinking Games to Play with Your Child

5 Fun Critical Thinking Games to Play with Your Child

by Dr. Jody LeVos | Mar 27, 2024 | Critical Thinking

Playing games is a great way for your child to develop their critical thinking skills—and the metaphor of a game is a great way to think about these important life skills!

Every time your child works through a problem they need to solve, a sequence they need to memorize, or a decision they need to make, they’re making their way toward the goal of improving their critical thinking.

It’s like a game where the reward at the end is better decision-making, stronger reasoning skills, and academic and professional success!

Kids will keep playing this game over the course of their lives, connecting new ideas to old ones and discarding one opinion for another. Each time, they’ll get better.

Ready to start? We’ve got some fun and easy game ideas for you!

The Short Cut

• Critical thinking  is one of the 5 C’s  that help kids thrive in school and life (an essential part of the Begin Approach to learning)
• The ability to think critically—as opposed to being intelligent—has been linked to wellness and fewer “negative life events”
• Good critical thinking activities  often involve following rules, breaking tasks into sequences, asking questions, and understanding multiple perspectives
• Games (like this memory game ) are a fantastic way to develop critical thinking with kids because you can slip in challenges with the fun!

Why Is Critical Thinking Important?

Critical thinking is a necessary skill for understanding the world.

Through weighing options, studying different perspectives, and making good choices, our children can lead their lives in a positive and healthy way.

Critical thinking allows our kids to:

• Analyze information and make decisions
• Recall short sequences of information and simple instructions
• Ignore distractions to focus on a task
• Grasp the differences between sources of information
• Reason using logic
• Make connections between things

It’s one of the most important contributors to their overall well-being!

6 Critical Thinking Exercises for Everyday Life

Games aren’t the only critical thinking exercises that work well for kids. They also encounter many opportunities to build their skills on any given day.

How can you tap into those chances? Try these techniques.

1. Explain Things

No doubt you often find yourself on the receiving end of your child’s questions. Try to answer all of them. Daunting as that might sound (we know!), this helps your child learn how to formulate the questions they need to ask to make good judgments.

2. Back Up Rules with Good Reasons

Help your child understand the reasons behind rules. (A typical Q&A volley:  “Please find a quiet activity to do after dinner.” “Why?” “Because your brother is asleep and we don’t want to wake him up.”)

This kind of exchange allows your child to understand why you’re asking them to do something, which fosters critical thinking.

3. Play Real-Life Problem-Solving Games

Playing strategy games—even simple ones designed for kids—develops analytical skills. You can also have fun turning household tasks into problem-solving games, like figuring out which socks go to which person when you’re folding laundry.

4. Cultivate Curiosity

Encourage your child to ask questions and dig deep to find answers. Curiosity leads to challenging assumptions and gaining new information. Ultimately it helps your child develop complex thinking skills.

5. Encourage Open-Mindedness

Help your child learn to be flexible in their thinking by giving them time to gather information before they make decisions. Considering various solutions helps kids learn that more than one way to do things can be correct.

6. Model Analytical Thinking

Our kids are always watching us. One of the best ways to influence your child’s critical thinking skills is by talking through decisions as you make them. (“I want to walk to the store. I can take a shortcut, but it’s on that dirt path and I’m wearing new sneakers. I want to keep them clean, so I’ll walk on the road instead.”)

5 Games to Guide Your Child’s Critical Thinking

There are many educational critical thinking games  you can play at home that help kids improve their skills! We’ve gathered a few we love:

This classic guessing game encourages analytical thinking and problem-solving skills (like deduction) as your child searches for specific objects based on clues.

Plus, it‘s highly portable! Play it in the car, on a walk, or even at the grocery store!

What You Need

• Nothing except space!
• Explain you’ll take turns identifying an object in your space.
• Model the game by going first. Choose an object that both of you can see.
• Then share one detail about it. (“I spy something purple.”)
• Ask your child to guess what you’ve chosen.
• If your child is stumped or getting frustrated, add more clues (“The purple thing is a food, and it’s over by the apples.”)
• Trade roles so that your child chooses something for you to guess.

More Ways to Play

• Choose different rules, such as “the object has to start with a specific sound or letter of the alphabet,” or “share three adjectives that describe the object,” or “make up one phrase this object might say”

2. Once Upon a Time

Storytelling is a great way to work on critical thinking skills like understanding cause and effect, choice-making, and sequencing. This game also taps into kids’ creativity  (another one of the 5 C’s) through making up stories.

• Nothing but your imagination!
• Explain you’re going to build a story together by taking turns, one sentence at a time. You can give an example by reciting a story that your child already knows.
• Give an exciting first sentence that jumps into action, such as, “Once upon a time, a kid was on a rocket ship headed to Mars, when a meteor hit and fuel began to leak.”
• Ask your child to continue the story. If they get stuck, try asking them questions like “What did the rocket ship do next?” or “What did the kid do first to fix the problem?” or “How did the kid feel?”
• Continue taking turns until you come to a natural ending.
• Write down the story as you tell it, then read it out loud
• Create a book out of the story, using paper, markers, and a stapler or tape (art projects use many critical thinking skills)
• Use a prop to center the story around, like a toy or a stuffed animal
• Go outside and tell a story based on what you imagine you see in the clouds

3. Bet You Can Build It!

Designing a structure takes curiosity, planning, trial and error, and problem-solving. You can turn this activity into a game by laying out rules to follow.

• Marshmallows
• Craft sticks
• Cardboard tubes
• Anything else you’ve got at home!
• Gather your materials.
• Give your child the rules for the building challenge. (“Create the tallest building you can without it tipping over” or “Use all the marshmallows and toothpicks.”)
• Work on the structure together or each do your own.
• Celebrate when you’ve finished!
• Use a timer to add urgency to the game
• Bring the game to the floor and use bigger building materials, like blocks or plastic bricks
• Bring it outside and use objects found in nature

Get your child moving their whole body as they use planning, organization, and problem-solving skills to find their way through a maze.

• A surface to draw on, like a sidewalk, driveway, or playground blacktop
• Objects to use as obstacles
• A finish-line treasure (a favorite toy, a treat, etc.)
• Draw a maze with chalk. Try making a path by drawing borders on each side or a “tightrope” by only drawing one line your child will need to balance on as they walk.
• Add dead ends to make the maze more challenging.
• Use objects to create obstacles for your child to problem-solve a way past.
• Add a treasure at the finish to engage their imagination.
• Have your child start at one end and try to find their way through!
• Hone in on the treasure component of the maze by creating a scavenger hunt .
• Ask your child to draw a map of the maze when they’ve finished.

5. Obstacle Course

An obstacle course builds real-life skills. To get through their days, kids need to be able to remember lots of information (just think about all the rules at school!).

They also encounter problem-solving based on sequencing and memorizing shortcuts, directions, and solutions.

Think about learning how to write. Letters have to be in a specific order to make a word. That’s sequencing.

Or you may allow your child to walk to school or the bus stop on their own. That’s all about memorizing directions.

Obstacle courses can help them practice these skills!

• Masking tape or chalk
• Jump rope or broom
• Big bouncy ball
• Play tunnel, table, or chair
• Board or pool noodle
• Log and plank
• Pillows, bean bag chairs, or large stuffed animal
• Any other objects you want!
• Gather your objects—you can play this game inside or outside.
• Design a path for your child by placing interactive objects along it. For instance, they can jump over the broom, crawl under the table, and balance on the log and plank.
• Show your child the sequence. You can demonstrate it or have them do a trial run.
• Let them start!
• Try asking your child to do the course backwards or blindfolded—with a partner!
• On a hot day (and outdoors!), add water components like carrying a bucket of water or running through a sprinkler
• Draw a map and instead of telling your child how to move through the course, give them the map to follow
• Add a fun time component and challenge your child to finish the course faster each time they do it

Cultivating Critical Thinking Skills with Begin

Because critical thinking is such an essential skill set, at Begin we build it into our age- and stage-matched learning membership . Kids can learn sequencing, make their own games, do science experiments, and more with award-winning activity kits from Little Passports , the codeSpark coding app , and more!

Take our online quiz  today to discover which stage of the Begin membership is best for your family!

As our Chief Learning Officer, Jody leads a highly knowledgeable team of early learning experts at Begin. She has a Ph.D. in Developmental Science, focused on children’s mathematical and cognitive development.

View all posts

Dr. Jody LeVos

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Five tough questions in the wake of the Baltimore Key Bridge collapse

A s the full scope of the dramatic and shocking collapse of Baltimore's crucial Francis Scott Key Bridge comes into focus, the region and the nation are just beginning to grapple with what the future, both near and long-term, might hold, but there are tough questions still unanswered.

The bridge was a critical link in the transportation system serving a metro area of more than 2.8 million people and a vital artery for East Coast shipping. Its collapse not only means the loss of a major roadway but also at least temporarily a large, thriving port until the wreckage of the bridge and the ship can be cleared and, perhaps, a new bridge can be constructed.

Here are some of the unknowns and some questions without easy answers.

Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

Why did a cargo ship ram the Francis Scott Key Bridge?

The cause of the collapse was evident in gut-wrenching video that captured the moments Tuesday when the Dali , a hulking , Sri Lanka-bound cargo ship, hit one of the bridge's A-shaped support piers, causing the steel structure to fail and fall into the Patapsco River.

Officials say the 984-foot ship suffered a power outage and sounded a mayday, allowing them to stop vehicle traffic before the collision. But they have not yet elaborated on why the ship lost power or other factors that may have played a role. The National Transportation Safety Board recovered the vessel's black box recorder and the investigation is ongoing.

What happened, in depth: A giant ship. A power blackout. A scramble to stop traffic: How Baltimore bridge collapsed

How long will it take to remove the ship and the debris in the water?

Benjamin Schafer, a professor of civil and systems engineering at Johns Hopkins University, said Wednesday that it would be difficult to gauge how long it might take to remove debris from the Dali and the bridge.

But in a meeting with journalists, he indicated it would be wise to think in terms of months, rather than weeks.

“I’d be shocked if it’s weeks but I don’t think it’ll take even a year,” said Schafer, a structural engineer. 

The latest news: Baltimore bridge recovery effort presses on; 22-member crew still aboard ship

How long will it take to rebuild the bridge in Baltimore?

A complete rebuild could take a decade or more, Schafer said. He noted that building the original bridge took five years and rebuilding the Skyway Bridge in Tampa after it was hit by a freighter in 1980 took seven.

“To actually recreate that whole transportation network," he said. "Projects that large take “rarely less than 10 years."

Visualizing the collision and collapse: After ship hits Baltimore bridge, mapping how the collapse unfolded

How much will all of this cost?

Addressing the crisis from the White House, President Joe Biden on Tuesday pledged federal support for the rebuilding process.

“It's my intention that federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge. And I expect the Congress to support my effort,” Biden said. "It's going to take some time. The people of Baltimore can count on us, though, to stick with them at every step of the way until the port is reopened and the bridge is rebuilt."

Who will pay for it? With death toll unknown and bridge collapsed, Biden pledges federal support for Baltimore

That tab could be exceptionally high, Schafer said . Removing the Dali and the bridge debris and rebuilding the bridge and surrounding infrastructure would be an enormous undertaking at today's rates.

"The price tags never seem to be out of the hundred of millions these days," he said.

How can disasters like the collapse of the Baltimore bridge be prevented?

Susu Xu, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins' Department of Civil and Systems Engineering, said there are some s teps that can be taken to try and avert a bridge collapse and potentially catastrophic loss of life.

Aging infrastructure: Baltimore bridge collapse reignites calls for fixes to America's aging bridges

Sensors could be installed on piers or bridge decks to detect when a ship is getting too close and trigger warning lights to stop traffic from entering the bridge and alert emergency responders and other agencies, Xu said.

Building collapse-proof bridges is more challenging, Schafer said. It could be done, but it would be costly. So-called dolphin structures – barriers placed near bridges to divert ships – can be helpful, he said, but they might not work, given the sheer volume of cargo vessels.

"These things are a balance and we as a society, we have to try to make these choices the best we can to have the economic engines like the port, to have a transportation network," Schafer said. "What it feels like right now is that we didn't get the balance right, and there needed to be more consideration for this possible event."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Five tough questions in the wake of the Baltimore Key Bridge collapse

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‘dirty debutantes’ article about lsu women’s basketball team deemed racist.

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Hailey Van Lith, a white LSU player, says her teammates experience racism. (Photo by Sarah ... [+] Stier/Getty Images)

On the eve of their Sweet 16 matchup in the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, Ben Bolch, a Los Angeles Times staff writer, called the UCLA Bruins “America’s sweethearts” and the LSU Tigers “basketball villains.” His article offended many readers. Hailey Van Lith, a white member of the LSU team, like many others, deemed Bolch’s article racist. “We do have a lot of Black women on this team, and unfortunately, that bias does exist still today, and a lot of the people that are making those comments are being racist towards my teammates,” Van Lith told reporters in an interview following the Tigers’ 78-69 win over UCLA.

The original version of Bolch’s article was so offensive that parts of it had to be retracted. One day after its publication, the newspaper posted this update online: “A previous version of this commentary did not meet Times editorial standards. It has been updated.” Bolch’s description of LSU’s players as “dirty debutantes” no longer appears in the updated version. A Google search of the phrase mostly returns results to pornographic video sites.

Bolch’s article is written in three parts. First, it focuses on LSU women’s basketball head coach Kim Mulkey’s response to a Washington Post article about her that she called a ‘hit piece’ prior to its publication. Mulkey has been criticized for her refusal to talk with Kent Babb, the WaPo journalist who wrote the article accusing her of homophobia, bullying, and silencing players. Bolch also wrote about UCLA’s coach Cori Close, portraying her and the team as classy. “Then there’s UCLA, which operates in the saintly shadows while being as wholesome as a miniature stuffed Bruin mascot.” It’s important to note that Mulkey and Close are both white women.

The third emphasis of Bolch’s article is the one that’s garnering the most attention. This is where in the original version he referred to the players as “dirty debutantes.” He also accused the Tigers of being divisive and America’s most polarizing team. He offered this juxtaposition of them and UCLA: “Do you prefer the team that wants to grow women’s basketball or the one seemingly hellbent on dividing it?” His was a good vs. evil comparison.

Bolch cited an example of Angel Reese, a star on the LSU squad, waving goodbye to a player on the opposing team who’d fouled out in an earlier round of the tournament. Trash talking isn’t uncommon in college sports. But when Reese, a Black woman who is affectionately known as ‘Bayou Barbie,’ behaves in the exact same ways as white student-athletes like University of Iowa’s top player Caitlin Clark, she’s deemed classless. I highlighted these specific differences in a Forbes article following last year’s national championship game in which the Tigers defeated the Hawkeyes 102-85.

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The center I direct at the University of Southern California published a research report yesterday on Black women and gender equity in the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. It includes data from all NCAA Division I institutions and all 68 teams that were selected for participation in this year’s March Madness, as well as multidimensional statistical portraits for universities that advanced to the Sweet 16. I also included headshots for every player and head coach across the 16 teams. While both are racially diverse, LSU has more Black women on its team than does UCLA. This is what makes Bolch’s comparison of the two squads especially problematic – the predominantly Black team is comprised of villains, the one with fewer Black women is made up of angelic sweethearts.

Who plays on these teams matters, but so too do the locations of the two universities. UCLA is nestled between Beverly Hills and Bel Air – specifically, it’s in Westwood, which is 90% white. LSU is in Baton Rouge, which is 37% white and 53% Black. Three percent of UCLA’s undergraduates are Black, compared to 17% at LSU. According to his online bio, Bolch has worked for the Times since 1999, mostly as the UCLA beat writer. Surely, he’s been on the Westwood campus lots of times over the past 25 years and knows UCLA well. He’s likely not spent much time in Baton Rouge, though. There’s a chance that he doesn’t know Reese or her teammates well, if at all. Maybe he’s never met any of them.

Bolch’s article upholds longstanding racist tropes about Black people being thuggish; people from predominantly Black contexts being prone to misbehavior; and Black women, in particular, being threats to innocent, defenseless white women. Oddly, despite caricaturing Bayou Barbie as a classless bully, Bolch includes quotes from UCLA players Charisma Osborne and Lauren Betts who played with Reese on Team USA last summer. “She’s an amazing teammate and I really enjoyed playing with her,” Betts said. Similarly, Osborne noted, “she’s really nice off the court as well and people don’t always see that.” Again, Bolch presumably doesn’t know Reese, but he interviewed two UCLA players who do. So, why then, write such awful words about her and extend that mischaracterization to her LSU teammates?

“I’m in a unique situation where I see with myself, I'll talk trash and I'll get a different reaction than if Angel talks trash,” Reese’s white LSU teammate Van Lith told reporters. “I know for a fact that people see us differently because we do have a lot of Black women on our team who have an attitude and like to talk trash and people feel a way about it.” To be sure, white women, other women of color, and men across racial groups talk trash on basketball courts. But Bolch and others don’t write or talk about them like they do Reese and her teammates.

This isn’t the first time a journalist has spewed inexcusably racist and sexist mischaracterizations of Black women student-athletes. One of the most highly-publicized examples was in 2007 when Don Imus, a CBS Radio broadcaster, referred to Black players on the Rutgers University women’s basketball team as “nappy-headed hos.” Imus was fired just over a week later.

Northwestern University professor Moya Bailey coined a term that captures a distinctive form of despise for Black women: Misogynoir. It explains, at least in part, the choices Bolch made in his article, which Van Lith deemed racist and Mulkey called sexist in her postgame interview . It also explains why Bolch, Imus, and others have said things about Black women student-athletes that few (if any) people would say about their white teammates.

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March 27, 2024 - Baltimore Key Bridge collapse

By Kathleen Magramo , Antoinette Radford, Alisha Ebrahimji , Maureen Chowdhury , Elise Hammond , Tori B. Powell and Aditi Sangal , CNN

Our live coverage of the Baltimore bridge collapse has moved here .

Here's what you should know about the Key Bridge collapse

From CNN staff

Officials recovered the bodies of two construction workers who were on Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge when it collapsed early Tuesday morning after a 984-foot-long cargo ship collided into a pillar.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore called the collapse Wednesday " a global crisis ."

"The national economy and the world's economy depends on the Port of Baltimore. The port handles more cars and more farm equipment than any other port in the country," Moore said.

Here's what you should know:

• The victims: The six people who are presumed dead were from Mexico Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, according to Col. Roland L. Butler Jr, the superintendent of Maryland State Police. Two bodies were recovered and have been identified as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes from Mexico and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera from Guatemala. The two workers were filling potholes on the bridge and were later found trapped in a red pickup truck in about 25 feet of water, Butler said. The FBI is handling notifying the victims' families, Butler said.
• Recovery efforts: Authorities are pausing search efforts for the four other workers who are presumed dead, because additional vehicles are encased in concrete and other debris, making it unsafe for divers, Butler said. Once salvage operations clear the debris, divers will search for more remains, he said.
• The investigation: The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the fatal incident, according to the agency's chair Jennifer Homendy. During a Wednesday news conference, Homendy said there were 21 crew members and two pilots on board the Dali cargo ship when it crashed into the bridge. She also said a senior NTSB hazmat investigator identified 56 containers of hazardous material, and that some containers are in the water. The agency received six hours of voyage data from the ship and the investigation could take 12 to 24 months to complete, Homendy said. She emphasized that NTSB will not analyze information collected or provide conclusions while on scene of the collapse.
• Looking forward: Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said rebuilding the bridge will not be "quick or easy" but that it will get done. He said there are four main focus points ahead: reopening the port, dealing with supply chain issues until its reopening, rebuilding the bridge and dealing with traffic issues until the bridge is rebuilt. Biden  pledged the full support  of the federal government in the response and recovery efforts. His administration has already conveyed a sense of urgency to open up federal funding to remove debris and ultimately rebuild the bridge. Maryland has submitted a request to the Biden administration for emergency relief funds "to assist in our work going forward," Moore said Wednesday.

It's almost impossible to place people on the bow of ship due to the unstable structure, fire official says

 From CNN's Sarah Engel

Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace said Wednesday that the cargo ship's bridge structure and containers at the bow remain unstable.

"It's going to be very difficult, if not impossible, and very dangerous, to place people on the bow of that boat right now," Wallace told CNN's Kaitlan Collins.

"Naturally, we're still very cognizant of the fact that there are hazardous materials on board the vessel itself," Wallace said, alluding to the National Transportation Safety Board saying earlier that 56 containers were carrying hazardous materials.

Wallace said his team is relying heavily on aerial recognizance, including drones. "That's the only way we're able to see in," he said.  

He added that the aerial surveillance has "been able to really assure us right now we have no [chemical] reactions on board." 

"It's just utter devastation," NTSB chief says of the bridge collapse site

From CNN's Aditi Sangal

Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, called the site of the Key Bridge collapse "devastating."

"It's pretty devastating, certainly, seeing not just what's going on with the cargo containers, but just looking at what was a bridge span — three bridge spans that is pretty much gone. It's just utter devastation," she said at Wednesday evening's news briefing.

She added that she is thinking of families who lost loved ones and those who are waiting to reunite with their lived ones.

NTSB interviewed the Dali's captain and some other crew members today, agency chief says

The National Transportation Safety Board has interviewed the ship's captain, his mate, the chief engineer and one other engineer today, according to Chair Jennifer Homendy.

The two pilots on board the Dali at the time of collision will be interviewed tomorrow, she added.

Cargo ship's voyage data recorder is basic when compared to an airplane's, NTSB chair says

From CNN's Tori B. Powell

The voyage data recorder on the cargo ship Dali was a "newer model" but is considered basic when compared to that on an airplane, according to National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy.

"But it is very basic compared to say, a flight data recorder, where we would have 1,000 parameters," she said at a news conference on Wednesday.

The NTSB chief investigator Marcel Muise added:

"It's not a ship-wide system recorder, so most of the sensors that are being recorded are from the bridge. So things like GPS, the audio, rudder feedback, rudder commands are recorded on there. But not engineering, the temperature of each cylinder, power distribution sensors."

There were no tug boats with Dali at the time of the collision. That's normal, NTSB chief says

There were no tugs with Dali when the cargo vessel collided with Baltimore's Key Bridge, which is normal protocol, according to National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy.

Remember: At 01:26:39 on Tuesday, Dali's pilot made a general very high frequency (VHF) radio call for tugs in the vicinity to assist, the NTSB investigator Marcel Muise had said.

"The tugs help the vessel leave the dock, leave the port and get into the main ship channel. And then they leave. Once it's on its way, it's a straight shot through the channel. So there are no tugs with the vessel at the time. So they were calling for tugs," she said.

NTSB chair says she saw some containers that were carrying hazardous materials in the water

National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said she did see some of the 56 containers that were carrying hazardous materials in the water.

When asked how many

When asked how many containers of hazardous materials were in the water, Homendy said:

"I did see some containers in the water, and some breached significantly on the vessel itself," she said. "I don't have an exact number, but it's something that we can provide in an update."

Homendy said that a preliminary report should be out in two to four weeks.

This post has been updated with more quotes from Homendy.

Bridge did not have any redundancy, unlike the preferred method for building bridges today, NTSB chair says

Baltimore's Key Bridge did not have any redundancy, which is included in the preferred method of building bridges in the present day, according to National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy.

"The bridge is a fracture critical," she explained. "What that means is if a member fails that would likely cause a portion of, or the entire bridge, to collapse, there's no redundancy. The preferred method for building bridges today is that there is redundancy built in, whether that's transmitting loads to another member or some sort of structural redundancy. This bridge did not have redundancy," Homendy said.

There are 17,468 fracture critical bridges in the United States out of 615,000 bridges total, she said, citing the Federal Highway Administration.

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