this stage when you have analyzed the current situation in terms of: spheres of life, environment, skills, motivation, values and thinking. Similarly, it is as if you gathered at the foot of the mountain with a team and analyzed the resources before climbing. We laid out all the backpacks, tools and provisions in front of us. We looked at the team, its attitude, skills, strengths and weaknesses. Since you have seen more details, everything has become even more complicated. There are not enough canteens for water, backpacks have holes, equipment is taken from a flea market, and half of the team has no idea what climbing a mountain is, and the skills to shoot stories will not help in any way in a difficult situation. It turns out there’s still a lot of work to do before you start climbing. What to do? First you need to patch up all the gaps to start your journey with confidence, not at random. Why is it necessary to dig into problems at such an early stage? If it is already clear that we have, and you can start planning. But life is not a fictional example from a book. If you have health problems, then there will be no energy to do anything. If you are getting by from paycheck to paycheck, then stress will hold you back from changes. If you have a toxic environment, then you won’t even be able to start thinking about new goals. You can’t make a «whoosh» so that everything changes quickly by itself. In such cases, it is necessary to solve the basic problems first. Look at all the spheres in Maslow’s pyramid. Where are there more problems or shortcomings in it? If at the first two levels, then solve these problems first, and then proceed to improve all areas further at the levels above.
Maslow’s pyramid
The good news is that you are not the only one with such problems. Many people have them, and most solutions already exist. If there are live examples who have coped with similar problems, then you can too. The main thing is to get involved. When you see that you will succeed, you will believe that everything is possible. You will see a new horizon of problems, but it will not be so scary anymore. It is convenient when you place the entire analysis of the current situation on a large sheet or a Miro board. To see the full map of the current situation from above. Mark all problem areas, undesirable situations, people, qualities, and so on the map. Everything you associate with the problems you want to get rid of. Then we need to solve the problems. How to solve any problem? The algorithm is simple. Find the problem, come up with a solution and implement it. Root cause analysis helps to find the root of the problem. Often people mistake the symptoms of a problem for the problem itself and endlessly solve them. Endlessly bailing out water from a boat with a hole. It is right to solve problems so that they no longer arise and do not create new problems. This can only be done if the root problem is found and solved.
To find root problems, you can use RCA (Root Cause Analysis). This method helps to look at the problem comprehensively, see the connections and find the root cause of a specific negative situation. There are many methods for such analysis. The most famous are «Five Whys» and «Ishikawa Diagram». I suggest using the «Five Whys». It has a clear logic, and in the future, it is easy to modify for any needs. It was invented by the founder of Toyota – Sakiti Toeda. Initially, the method was intended for solving production problems. Asking the question «Why?» five times at the site of the problem, the original source of the problem was determined, and the solution was found faster. To find the root causes of problems, we will need to ask ourselves this question a lot more than five times, as well as work with cause-and-effect relationships. We are not soulless machines in production, so an important feature of the process is honesty and objectivity to ourselves because you have to admit unpleasant things to yourself.
«A fool who has admitted that he is a fool is no longer a fool at all»
Our task is to postpone emotions, value judgments and accusations. Even in a quote by Dostoevsky, there is no need to cling to the first word. You are not a fool. You are a brave person who is not afraid to admit inaction, mistakes, fears or ignorance. This is the only way to find the cause in cold blood and make sure that it is the root cause. I got acquainted with this method when I came to work as a project manager at red_mad_robot. Every Friday we had a meeting with the team, where we exchanged case statuses and discussed projects. At one of these meetings, I told the status that we do not have time to get the money, since the client cannot sign the documents on time due to a problem on their side. Creative Director Max Desyatykh asked me why. I replied that they had a problem with electronic document management. He asked me again why. I told him more details, and he asked again. These were my first weeks in the company, and inside I was just boiling with anger. I was thinking to myself, why are you bothering me, what are you trying to achieve. I explained to you that they have a problem, and we can’t influence it. But in the real world, I admitted that I couldn’t answer any further, and Max asked me to find out. The next day I went to sort it out, playing a game of whimsy with the client’s manager. It turned out that the problem was with the signatory, he went on vacation. In just one call, the manager found a person with the right to sign, and the documents were signed. I could have done it right away, but I didn’t ask a couple of extra «why» and didn’t make any progress in solving the problem. And the client, no matter how cool he is, does not need to solve other people’s problems. Today I remember this story with a smile and I myself demand from my team to get to the root causes and find out the most complete picture. This helps to look ahead, analyze in more detail and immediately generate solutions on the spot without unnecessary steps. I have tried many root cause analysis methods for myself. With the team, we experimented with different methods in project management. But I use the «Five Why» method most often. It has acquired its own nuances, layers of detail and designations, but the essence remains the same as in the original. Be sure to adopt it in your work, so as not to be like Vasily in the parable below.
Vasily asks his master:
– Why do you pay me 5 cents, and Boris 5 rubles?
The master in response asks Vasily:
– Aren’t they hauling hay away there by any chance?
– I don’t know.
– So go take a look.
Vasily returns and says:
– Yes, hay.
– And from which meadow?
– I don’t know.
– So go ask.
The employee comes again and responds:
– From the Konstantinovsky meadow.
– And what kind of hay mowing, the first or the second?
– I don’t know.
– Go and ask.
Vasily comes back again and says:
– The first mowing.
– And how much do they sell?
– I don’t know.
– Ask, please, – says the master.
Once again, an employee comes and answers the question:
