Root Cause Analysis Tool: The Five Whys

  • Author: Dr. Lew Bayer
  • Credit: 1
  • Study time: 30 minutes
Critical Skills for New Leaders micro course
Course overview
Stop solving the same problem twice. Learn the Five Whys, the root cause method developed at Toyota, and apply it to a real problem of your own.
  • Video time: 2 minutes
  • Certificate of Completion included

What's included?

  • 5 Lessons
  • 1 Certificate of Completion
  • 1 Worksheet
  • 3 Videos
  • 2 PDF downloads

What you will learn

New leaders are often rewarded for fast fixes, and fast fixes usually treat symptoms. This micro module explains why critical thinking is a leadership responsibility, shows the difference between a symptom and a root cause, and teaches the Five Whys method step by step, with a worked example and five habits for using it well.

A tool you can use this week

The My Five Whys worksheet, which you download and complete for a real situation of your own.

Dr. Lew Bayer

CEO of Civility Experts Inc., author, and Canadian Civility Ambassador
ABOUT LEW
Dr. Lew Bayer is internationally recognized as the leading expert on civility at work. She is CEO of Civility Experts Inc., a multinational civility training group with more than 500 affiliates in 46 countries, and the author of 23 books, including the bestseller The 30% Solution and a new book on diplomacy due for release in January 2027. With some 30 years of experience as a practitioner and mentor, Lew and her team of social architects help organizations build better workplaces by building competency in civility. She serves as faculty at the Canadian Management Centre, is Director of the International Civility Trainers' Consortium, and is currently embracing her role as Canadian Civility Ambassador.
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