The Right Way to Have a “Why” Mindset
Yesterday I compared the “why” vs. the “what” mindset of dealing with problems and solutions. My argument was simple. “Why” people are thinking strategically and “what” people are thinking tactically. While there is a time and place for both methods, “why” thinking is nearly always better when dealing with non cookie cutter problems.
With this in mind, today I’m going to go a little deeper in exploring the right way to have a “why” mindset. Unquestionably, finding out why something is happening is not enough. This answer is only scratching the surface of the real why. In the business world, a good leader won’t stop with their research until they’ve gone at least “Five Whys” deep. This means asking why about the answer to why at least five times before coming to a conclusion on cause-and-effect.
This concept of “Five Whys” is actually a formal methodology, not some feel good approach to enlightenment. It was first formalized and documented in Japan by Sakichi Toyoda in the early 1900s, and applied extensively in helping grow Toyota into one of the best companies in the world.
However, going “Five Whys” deep is not only good for solving business problems. I would argue it’s the best way to approach any problem. If solving a problem is important, going any less than 5 whys deep would be a mistake. If you are discussing a problem with someone, and they show they aren’t willing to apply this type of rigor, it simply means they aren’t truly interested in solving the problem.