Five Whys
The Five Whys Technique
Another helpful technique that can be used during analysis is the five whys. This technique is simple: keep asking “why” to get to the root cause of a problem or gap. (Five is a good number of “why” questions to ask, but you may need more or fewer questions than this.) Each answer should be factual and precise to ensure that you get to the true cause.
Example
Here is a simple example of the five whys technique.
Why were you late for work today?
I was late for work because my car ran out of gas.
Why did your car run out of gas?
My car ran out of gas because I didn’t put gas in it.
Why didn’t you put gas in your car?
I didn’t put gas in my car because I didn’t have any money.
Why didn’t you have any money?
I don’t have any money because I spent it all on the weekend.