why
Iterative questioning technique that drills from surface symptoms to fundamental root causes by repeatedly asking "why."
Purpose - Find the true root cause, not just symptoms
Output - Chain of causation leading to actionable root cause
/kaizen:why ["issue or symptom description"]Arguments
Optional description of the issue or symptom to analyze. If not provided, you will be prompted for input.
How It Works
State the Problem: Clearly define the observable symptom or issue
First Why: Ask why this problem occurs; document the immediate cause
Iterate: For each answer, ask "why" again to go deeper
Branch When Needed: If multiple causes emerge, explore each branch separately
Identify Root Cause: Usually reached after 5 iterations when you hit systemic/process issues
Validate: Work backwards from root cause to symptom to verify the chain
Propose Solutions: Address root causes, not symptoms
Depth Guidelines
Stop when: You reach process, policy, or systemic issues
Keep going if: "Human error" appears (ask why error was possible)
Branch when: Multiple contributing factors exist
Not always 5: Stop at true root cause, whether 3 or 7 whys deep
Usage Examples
Example Output
Best Practices
Do not stop at symptoms - Keep asking "why" until you reach systemic causes
Explore multiple branches - Complex problems often have multiple contributing factors
Avoid blame - Focus on process and systems, not individuals
Document everything - The chain of causation is valuable for future reference
Test solutions - Implement, verify the symptom is resolved, then monitor for recurrence
Last updated