know, – Vasily declares for the umpteenth time.
At this moment Boris enters and says to the master:
– There the hay was brought from the Konstantinovsky meadow, the first mowing. I asked «how much?». They said 5 rubles each. I haggled until 3. Buy and unload it?
The gentleman turns to Vasily and says:
– That’s why I pay you 5 cents, and Boris 5 rubles!
Boris figured out the issue in more detail, gathered information, made decisions, benefited, received money, will buy himself a Mercedes. Vasily limited himself to one question, he only has enough for vape. Vasily needs to sit down and ask himself the question: «Why am I being paid 5 cents?». Then analyze the root causes and identify the root. Having solved it, Vasily will embark on the path to his 5 rubles. Later, he will be able to ask himself the question – «Why do they pay me 5 rubles?» – and walk to his Mercedes. Train the habit of not making decisions based on superficial information, but ask questions to get to the truth.
The task of root cause analysis is to identify the root cause or complement the integrity of the picture by visualizing a model of the problem (phenomenon or desire). The visual model helps to identify cause-and-effect relationships, hidden causes, dependence of causes and root nodes of causes. It is better to use Miro or a similar service to make it easier to edit your scheme. Try to stick to the basic rules:
1. First, the problem or undesirable phenomenon is written down that needs to be resolved is recorded;
2. Then, using the «why» questions, we build a tree of the causes of the problem from top to bottom, while it is possible;
3. Any branch ends with a root cause or an immutable cause;
4. The cause of the problem may be problems of a lower level, which have their own reasons;
5. When you answer the question «why», then try to rely on the facts and indicate the reason for what is written in the rectangle above. Avoid value judgments, emotions, and objects unrelated to the problem;
6. A tree can have many parallel branches, several of the following reasons can come out of one reason;
7. The reasons can be connected by the node «and»/«or». If the causes are connected by the «and» node, then you need to eliminate all the causes included in the problem in order to solve it. If through «or», then only one can be solved;
8. Some reasons may be similar to each other or be the cause of other problems from neighboring branches. Note similar reasons to highlight them in a group of reasons.
The easiest way is to consider the method on a real example. When I worked at the factory, I was not satisfied with my salary. What would the root cause analysis look like: «I have a small salary.»
Example of root cause analysis
The example is vital and simple, but very difficult to analyze. I have repeatedly run through this chain of reasoning in my head when talking about buying my apartment in Donetsk. I ran through, but I didn’t do anything, because it’s very hard to notice and admit to yourself that you don’t know how to do anything. The scheme is branching into two branches: «1» and «2». We immediately discard the «2» branch, since we cannot influence the company. Branch «1» is divided into three more branches: «1.1», «1.2» and «1.3». The «1.2» branch does not give anything. The decision on it is very labor-intensive and long. Branches «1.1» and «1.3» lead us to two main root causes: «No knowledge and experience» and «Fear and self-doubt». The reason «I didn’t do anything to find out» is more indirect. These are more symptoms of fear. Thanks to the analysis behind the first layer of the search for the guilty and justifications for inaction, we see which problems are really important to solve. Moreover, it is clear how to solve them. There are many ways to learn new skills and gain experience. It is more difficult to increase self-esteem and overcome fear, but it is also known how. It is difficult to argue with this and give the brain a chance to explain why it is not necessary to do this. For example, I did not take into account all possible branches, but left only the most important. In real analysis, there can be very huge schemes with a large number of branches, which allows you to consider all the causes and highlight the connections.
Above, I briefly outlined what the method is. If you have never done such an analysis before, then watch the video or read articles on the Internet. There are many detailed explanations and examples on the web. The method is quite easy to learn, and anyone will figure it out without any problems. To analyze my situations, I use the RCA+ (Root Conflict Analysis) method, which was developed by Valery Sushkov. He is one of the developers of the tools of modern TRIZ (Theory of inventive problem solving) and the Technology of Systemic Innovative Thinking, as well as the co – founder of the European TRIZ Association and the International Business TRIZ Association. This method also builds a tree of reasons, but the principle of operation is significantly different from the “Five Why” method. I was lucky to get on a course with Valery Sushkov. There I learned about his method and immediately started using it. If the “Five Whys” is too simple for you or does not work to find root causes, then search the web for information about RCA+ or Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints. It is better to watch the video and practice right away, since it is very difficult to explain them in text. But this is already an advanced level for solving complex problems in business. “Five Whys” will be enough for you.
The task of the last section on analysis is to convey to everyone that root cause analysis is a mandatory step for all types of problems. Always get to the root cause. This way you will be able to deal with real problems, not with symptoms. You will be able to focus your efforts by spending less resources. The questions «why» and «what for» are among the most important ones in life. They embody a meaningful approach to life. These questions can be used not only to find reasons, but also to make informed decisions, filter desires and maintain motivation. We’ll talk about this further. Take the analysis very seriously, do not neglect it. The brain will always come up with an explanation for any phenomenon, will try to save resources and lead you according to an understandable scenario. Culture, people and lack of time – everything works against the process of recognizing the root causes. Root cause analysis is your protective shield against interference and a companion of system life. It all starts with him, and then he will come in handy more than once. Where else will you find such a powerful free tool that produces clarity for you and saves resources.
Outcome
Einstein was once asked how he would spend an hour of his time solving a very difficult problem. He replied that he would spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes solving it. There’s no reason not to trust Albert. Any actions or decisions should start with analysis. This will protect you from premature anxiety, wrong decisions and unnecessary actions. Regularly stop the flow of information and urgent matters, as Neo stopped the bullets at the end of the first «Matrix». Do an analysis of the current situation in order to unload the mind, make a revision of life and load back only the most important.
«Reason is the ability of expedient action as a result of objective analysis»
Update the resources you have,
