Explore the 'Five Whys' method to uncover the root cause of problems by embracing a child-like curiosity, a technique that fosters deep understanding and innovative solutions.

⭐ Five Whys

When you are in trouble or trying to solve an issue or learning something new or just curious, remember this: “Think like a kid”. This is a proven fact that most problems get solved if you follow the “5 Whys”. 5 Whys is an iterative questioning method used to traverse the cause-and-effect links underlying a specific problem.

Example: 5 Whys in IT

Imagine this scenario in an IT world:

• Q1: Why did the server go down?
  • A1: The server peaked the CPU usage and crashed.
• Q2: Why did the CPU peak so much?
  • A2: The CPU was not scaled to handle the volume of requests.
• Q3: Why was the CPU not scaled?
  • A3: This amount of users were not expected.
• Q4: Why did the number of users exceed our expectations?
  • A4: We were listed in the Forbes 500 for the best workplace.
• Q5: Why did we not know that before?
  • A5: The Brand team did not communicate that we were selected by Forbes.

In 70% of the cases, we will have the answer by the 3rd iteration of Why. The “5 whys” method is a powerful tool that can be applied to any principle for that matter.

⭐ Why as a Branding Strategy

“Why” is not only used for problem-solving; in fact, it’s a key branding strategy. If you are running a startup or a small business or even a huge corporation, unless you identify why your company exists, you will never succeed. Companies lose their market when they forget to realize why they exist.

Examples of ‘Why’ in Branding

Nokia is a very good example. They dominated the market by 41% in 2007, but not long after Apple introduced their iPhone, Nokia crashed and disappeared into thin air. Nokia had a better camera, better technology, and a better-experienced team than Apple, still they failed to communicate why they existed.

As Simon Sinek said, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

Apple’s message was clear: they challenged the status quo with “Think Different”. Anyone who had the same mindset of being different became a fan of Apple, and they lived up to the promise.

⭐ The Power of Purpose

Earning million dollars a month won’t give you happiness in the long term. There are people who have enough wealth to last the next 10 decades, still, they go to work every day. They know why they do what they do.

Finding Your Why

If you don’t know why you are doing what you are doing, it’s time to revisit that question: “Why are you doing what you are doing?”

No matter what you do, be it a junior associate or an executive or a CEO, if you do not know why you are doing what you are doing, you are not going to be happy. If you are not happy, you are not going to be successful. Many think happiness evolves around success; that’s wrong. It is the other way around. Success revolves around happiness.

⭐ Final Thoughts

Examples of Purpose-Driven Success

• A pan seller in a local street of Aurangabad decided to make the best pan in the world. Today, after 33 years in service, “Tara Pan Center” exports pan even to international destinations like Saudi Arabia and Dubai.

• Thyrocare CEO Dr. Velumanu did not have Rs. 2 to take a group photo when he was in 11th Grade. Today, Thyrocare is worth 2000+ Million INR.

• Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, who started as a young newspaper distributor to meet his daily needs, became the President of India in 2002. He knew why he existed. He exhaled his last breath while delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management Shillong on 27 July 2015.

There are infinite success stories to share, but it’s your turn to answer the question, WHY! What motivates you to go to work or run your business every day?