5 Whys — Template
See past the first explanation. 20 minutes, 2 people.
Rules
- One person asks, one answers — clear roles.
- After each "Why?" quickly check: Does the answer describe a person or a system? Person = wrong turn. System = continue.
- Stop when the cause is outside the team's sphere of influence. Then the last answer becomes the escalation question.
Symptom
Write the observable symptom in one sentence:
The five whys
Five is a heuristic, not a law. Sometimes three is enough. Sometimes you need seven.
3sets interpretation
Which set is the cause (can be more than one)?
| Set | Finding | × |
|---|---|---|
| Tool-Set — tool, process, structure | ☐ | |
| Skill-Set — skill, experience, routine | ☐ | |
| Mind-Set — attitude, assumption, culture | ☐ |
Example
Symptom: "Our test automation delivers no value."
Why? Because tests often fail. Why? Because they're flaky. Why? Because test data and environments are unstable. Why? Because nobody owns the test infrastructure. Why? Because automation is treated as a side task.
3sets interpretation:
- Tool-Set: Unstable test environment.
- Skill-Set: Missing know-how for robust test architecture.
- Mind-Set: Quality is not treated as a product.
Pitfalls
- Stopping after the first why. Surface-level countermeasures result.
- Looking for blame instead of system. If the answer is "because X is lazy," ask back: "What in the system makes it easy to appear lazy?"
- Too many whys. Stop when the cause is clear or outside your sphere of influence.
Source: The 3-Sets Method — Diagnostic Methods. More at 3sets.org/en.