Higher Performance Insights | Command Your Inner Toddler: Master the Five Whys
When test scores drop, we're quick to blame the curriculum. It's easy, obvious, and lets us move on.
But what if the curriculum isn't the problem?
What if the real issue is hiding five layers deep?
That's where the Five Whys come in. It's a simple tool with profound implications for educational leaders: [1]
- Ask why.
- Then, ask why again.
- Keep going until you've asked why five times.
It's not magic. It's persistence.
Here's the thing: In education, we're surrounded by surface-level solutions. They're comfortable and quick, but they rarely solve the real problem.
- The principal who implements a new reading program misses the underlying issue of teacher burnout.
- The superintendent who blames low attendance overlooks systemic transportation challenges.
- The district team that points to a lack of parent involvement ignores deeper community engagement issues.
- The college president, who attributes declining enrollment to competition, fails to recognize shifting student needs and expectations.
We settle for the first answer because digging is hard, uncomfortable, and forces us to confront truths we'd rather ignore.
But here's the secret: The fifth why is where the magic happens. It's where real change begins. [2]
The Five Whys is a technique for determining the root cause of a problem by asking the question “Why” five times.
Real Example
Just keeping it real, last week, my early morning workout routine didn’t happen.
- Why? – I was tired. (First why)
- Why? – I went to bed late. (Second why)
- Why? – I was on my phone. (Third why)
- Why? – I was scrolling the social. (Fourth why)
- Why? – I was bored. (Fifth why, a root cause)
The root cause was not tiredness, as first assumed, but boredom, which could be solved by (1) better meeting an unmet need (e.g., reading a book) or (2) making the behavior harder to do, as James Clear espouses in his book Atomic Habits. [3]
So, the next time you face a challenge, resist the urge to stop at the first why. Push further.
Ask again. And again.
Because the root cause is rarely where you expect it to be. And finding it? That's how you create Higher Performance and lasting change.
Team Discussion Question
Reflect on a recent challenge where your initial solution fell short. Apply the Five Whys technique as a team to uncover the root cause. How does this deeper insight change your perspective? What new, more effective strategies can you develop based on this analysis?
[1] Eric Ries introduced me to The Five Whys in his book, The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses.
[2] In addition to The Five Whys, Toyota also developed the idea of Just In Case vs. Just In Time manufacturing, which I wrote about HERE.
[3] Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones – James Clear.
Announcement
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My latest book, CANCELAVERAGE: A Practical Guide to Accelerating Higher Team Performance, is a blueprint for this new standard. It's an invitation for leaders ready to lead with courage, challenge the status quo, and replace 'best practices' with something better.
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