The Sixth Why

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Photo by Boris Smokrovic on Unsplash

For much of my working life, the “five why’s” technique was a well-used part of my armoury along with others, like the ladder of inference, seven habits, and “the people on the bus”.

There is something quite satisfying about creating a fishbone diagram to hold the answers to five questions and the rigour of lean six sigma analysis. Lots of diagrams and graphs, and PowerPoint templates. Lots of training to assume the power of a latter-day Oracle.

And, of course, they are effective - but only up to a point. Analysis requires questions, and questions are good - up to a point. The problem comes when we think they are sufficient and present a solution. It’s easy to end up at a point where we have done the work, followed the yellow brick road and find ourselves ending up frequently wrong but rarely in doubt.

As technology has…