Root Causes

To find the root cause of any problem, ask the question why five times.

Surface does not usually give the detail.

Close your eyes and picture a tree.

What did you see?

Trunk, branches, leaves, maybe some fruit?

Did you see the roots? Not usually. It is hard to see the roots because they lie under the ground, covered in dirt or grass.

When we have a problem, we see the situation. We see the branches and the leaves, perhaps even the trunk. You may not be able to see the roots until you clear away some of the dirt surrounding the trunk.

Looking at a problem, we can see the surface. What can we do to see below the surface or the roots? If we can take care of the problem at the root it will not spread to branches, leaves or even the entire trunk.

How can we do that?
Ask questions. Determine the chain of events that took place to get to this point.
What are the decisions that could have happened to create this situation?
What was the desired outcome and how close did we get to it?
Why was that particular outcome required?
Could there have been another possibility?
Was this path the best path or just the path of least resistance?

Finding the root cause of a problem or situation can help you to stop it from happening again. You can even gather learning that will help you anticipate future instances so that you are prepared and can bring a proactive resolution to the issue.

Just remember, when you only see the leaves and branches...start digging to find the rest.