Speaker 1: Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of
Speaker 1: performance through strong human relations, team building, and goal achieving.
Speaker 1: This is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host
Speaker 1: Paul fella Aledo.
Speaker 2: Hello everyone, and welcome to the seven Minute Leadership Podcast.
Speaker 2: It's episode two nineteen and today we're diving into a
Speaker 2: transformative tool that can revolutionize the way you lead, solve problems,
Speaker 2: and inspire your team. It's called the five whyse a
Speaker 2: simple yet powerful method to uncover the root cause of challenges,
Speaker 2: drive innovation, and create a culture of continuous improvement. So
Speaker 2: the five Wise is a problem solving technique developed by
Speaker 2: Sakichi Toyota, a Japanese industrialist, and it became a cornerstone
Speaker 2: of Toyota's success and is now a widely used tool
Speaker 2: in leadership and management. And the premise is simple. When
Speaker 2: faced with a problem, ask why five times or as
Speaker 2: many times as it takes to uncover the root cause.
Speaker 2: The method isn't just for operational challenges. It's a mindset
Speaker 2: that leaders can use to foster deeper understanding and accountability.
Speaker 2: And as leaders, we often address symptoms of problems instead
Speaker 2: of their underlying causes. The five Whys forces us to
Speaker 2: dig deeper and avoid quick fixes that don't last. When
Speaker 2: we lead with this level of inquiry, we empower our
Speaker 2: teams to think critically, innovate, and take ownership of solutions.
Speaker 2: So here's an example of this. So let's say you're
Speaker 2: the manager and you go to a shift supervisor or
Speaker 2: someone because the team is struggling with low morale. You
Speaker 2: would say to them why is morale low? And you
Speaker 2: would get back because employees feel unappreciated. Well, why do
Speaker 2: they feel unappreciated because they rarely receive positive feedback? Why
Speaker 2: do they rarely receive positive feedback because managers are too
Speaker 2: focused on deadlines to recognize contributions. Why are managers so
Speaker 2: focused on deadlines? Because we don't have enough bandwidth to
Speaker 2: meet our project goals. Why don't we have enough bandwidth
Speaker 2: because we've taken on too many projects without prioritizing effectively.
Speaker 2: So in this example, the root cause isn't just a
Speaker 2: lack of feedback, it's poor prioritization. Now, as a leader,
Speaker 2: you can address the real issue by reevaluating workloads and
Speaker 2: creating spaces for positive reinforcement. So start with the problem.
Speaker 2: Clearly identify the issue, make sure it's specific and measurable.
Speaker 2: Be curious, not judgmental. Approach each why with curiosity. This
Speaker 2: isn't about blame, but it's about understanding. Involve your team
Speaker 2: because collaboration is key. When your team helps answer the why,
Speaker 2: they're more invested in the solution. Take action on the
Speaker 2: root cause once it's identified. Address the root cause with
Speaker 2: actionable steps. Ensure your team is part of implementing the solution,
Speaker 2: and reflect and improve After resolving the issue, reflect on
Speaker 2: what you've learned and how the process can be applied
Speaker 2: to future challenges. So the five whys is more than
Speaker 2: a tool. It's a mindset shift. It challenges you to
Speaker 2: think deeper, lead smarter, and inspire greater accountability within your team.
Speaker 2: When you lead with curiosity and clarity, you create a
Speaker 2: culture that isn't afraid of problems, but sees them as
Speaker 2: opportunities for growth. If you're a parent, your children have
Speaker 2: known the power of the five whys from a very
Speaker 2: early age. Think of every time you ask them to
Speaker 2: clean their room and they respond, why because I said so? Why.
Speaker 2: This has been the seven minute leadership podcast, and I
Speaker 2: thank you for listening for more.
Speaker 1: Paul fell of Alito podcasts. Visit Paulfellowalito dot com.