Chief Product Team 
The way the 5 whys in project management is a method of problem-solving that can be used for various reasons.
The 5 whys in project management is a problem-solving technique that begins by asking the question “Why?” five times to determine the root cause of any issue.
The technique can be helpful for various situations, such as understanding why a particular task wasn’t completed or why a product malfunctioned. Continue reading to know more about the topic.
The Truth About the 5 Whys in Project Management
Finding ways to improve the process is extremely essential in order to grow the business. The 5 why the process is one of the most useful techniques for troubleshooting and problem-solving.
It is also known as the 5 whys technique or the Five whys method. It is a simple and powerful tool that can find the root cause of any problem by asking the same question repeatedly till you reach the core issue.
If you are wondering how to use the five whys in project management, here are a few steps that can help you understand it better.
Step 1: Define the Problem or What needs to be Solved?
The first step in this problem-solving technique is to define what you need to solve.
The problem could be anything from late payment of invoice, a breakdown in machinery, a delay in delivery, etc.
Step 2: Ask Why?
Once you have clearly defined your project management problem, ask yourself why it happened. In order to solve any problem, you need to know what is the cause.
Every time you ask yourself “Why?” there has to be a reason behind it. This is because every event has its own reason for happening and every situation has its own causes.
The same applies to problems as well. To find out the root cause of your problem, keep on asking “why?” till you reach the root of your issue and figure out a solution for it as well.
Step 3: Take Action on what was learned?
After figuring out all of the possible reasons behind your project management problems, take action on it.
This will help you solve your problem and prevent it from recurring in the future as well.
If there is a certain solution that worked for you before, try implementing it again. So, it works this time around as well and prevents the problem from occurring again in the future as well.
Step 4: Use a Notebook to keep track of the Problem and its Solutions
If you are using this 5 whys technique in project management for the first time, you better keep a notebook with you. This will help you jot down the reasons for the problem.
Doing so will help you keep track of the problems that you have faced and the solutions to them as well.
Step 5: Revisit your Problem if necessary
Even after solving your problem and implementing an action plan, there is a possibility that it might recur again. This is where revisiting your problems can be of great use.
If this happens, use the same process again and find out what went wrong with your plan or try to figure out if there are any other problems that need to be fixed as well.
In this way, one can successfully use the 5 whys in project management to solve their problems.
