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WorkshopAny teamProblem solving

Fishbone diagram

60 minutes 6 blocksFree Free template

An Ishikawa board with the six M categories, causes added from phones, dot voting on the likely ones and a five whys drill-down on the top three.

Use this template See inside

Free to use and to run live. No card needed.

Share
The effect
The problem, stated precisely
People
Skills, staffing, handovers
Methods
Procedures, rules, steps
Machines
Equipment, tools, software
Materials
Inputs, parts, information
Measurement
Data, gauges, inspection
Environment
Place, time, conditions
Drill down: why?
Top causes, asked why until fixable

In short

A fishbone diagram, also called an Ishikawa or cause and effect diagram, groups the possible causes of a problem into categories along the bones of a fish. This template puts the six M categories on a live board, collects causes from everyone's phone, dot-votes the likely ones and drills into the top three with five whys.
Time
60 minutes
People
3 to 15
Board
Effect, 6 categories, drill-down
Plan
Free

Updated October 4, 2026

What's inside

The agenda

By the end of this meeting, we have mapped the possible causes, picked the likely ones and know how we'll confirm and fix them.

60 min · 6 blocks, drawn to scale Fits exactly
  1. The effect: one problem, stated precisely, 4 minutes 4
  2. Causes, bone by bone, 18 minutesBrainstorm 18
  3. Merge duplicates and dot-vote the likely causes, 8 minutes 8
  4. Five whys on the top three, 18 minutesDiscuss 18
  5. How we'll confirm each cause, and the first fixes, 8 minutes 8
  6. Owners and the date we look at the data, 4 minutes 4
015304560 min
  1. +0′The effect: one problem, stated preciselyTip: Write it in the head of the fish: 'Order errors rose from 2% to 6% in March', not 'quality issues'. Replace with your own problem and numbers.4 minInfo
  2. +4′Causes, bone by boneTip: About three minutes per category. Every note is a possible cause, not a fix. For service or office work, rename the bones (policies, procedures, people, place, systems) before you start.18 minBrainstorm
  3. +22′Merge duplicates and dot-vote the likely causesTip: Three dots each, on the causes people believe are most likely. Belief isn't proof; that's the next step.8 minDiscuss
  4. +30′Five whys on the top threeTip: Move each top cause into the drill-down area and ask why until you reach something you can change. Note what data would confirm each one.18 minDiscuss
  5. +48′How we'll confirm each cause, and the first fixes8 minDecide
  6. +56′Owners and the date we look at the data4 minWrap-up

How to run it

  1. 1Write the effect precisely in the head before anyone suggests a cause.
  2. 2Walk the six bones in turn while people add causes from their phones. Rename the categories first if the problem isn't in a factory.
  3. 3Dot-vote the likely causes, then drill into the top three with five whys.
  4. 4Agree how you'll confirm each cause with data before you spend money fixing it.

Questions people ask

What is a fishbone diagram?
A cause and effect diagram developed by Kaoru Ishikawa. The problem sits at the head, and possible causes branch off the spine in categories, so a team can see them all at once.
What are the 6 Ms of a fishbone diagram?
Man (people), Method, Machine, Material, Measurement and Mother Nature (environment). Service teams often use policies, procedures, people, place and systems instead.
What's the difference between a fishbone diagram and the 5 whys?
A fishbone goes wide: it lists many possible causes across categories. The 5 whys goes deep on one cause. They work best together, which is how this board is set up.

Run it with your group

Free
  • Ideas land on the board from every phone, then dot-vote
  • A timer for every block on the shared screen
  • Results, decisions and actions in the summary
Use this template

Free to use and to run live. No card needed.

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