Ask Why? “Five Times to Get to the Root of a Problem
When a toddler asks, “Why?” constantly, it can be annoying. But maybe they are just trying to teach you something. The next time you have a difficult problem, ask yourself why? five times to get at the root of this.
As The Entrepreneur business blog explains, it is easy to focus on surface-level issues we have in our work. Why are you so busy? Because I work too hard. Other than that, your problems tend to go a little deeper than that. Asking “Why?” To get down a few levels in your thinking, you can target the root issues:
- Why can’t I get everything done at work? Because I have so much to do.
- Why do you have so much to do? Because I get detached from my priorities for other tasks.
- Why are you getting pulled back for other tasks? Because I’m the only one who knows how to do it.
- Why are you the only one who knows how to do this? Because nobody was trained.
- Why has not one been trained yet? Because we do not have a cross-training program.
See how this converted the type of solution you will be using to solve this problem?
This concept can be applied to most of the seemingly insurmountable problems you have in your life, from your budget to your productivity in your relationship. Of course, it doesn’t have to make decisions easier (starting a cross-learning program is harder than just working harder), but it can help you stop spinning your wheels on solutions that don’t work.
How Asking Why 5 Times Can Change Your Life | Businessman