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  4. 5 whys workshop
WorkshopAny teamProblem solving

5 whys workshop

45 minutes 6 blocksFree Free template

Ask why, one level at a time: everyone answers from their phone, the room keeps the best-supported cause, adds evidence and ends with a fix.

Use this template See inside

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

Share
Problem
What, where, when, how big
Why 1
Why did this happen?
Why 2
Why did that happen?
Why 3
And why was that?
Why 4
Keep going
Why 5
Something we can change?
Evidence
A record, a log, a measurement
Corrective action
What we change, who, by when

In short

The 5 whys is a root cause technique: you ask 'why?' about a problem, then about each answer, until you reach a cause you can fix. This template runs it as a 45-minute group session with a guided board, answers from everyone's phone at each level, an evidence area and a corrective action with an owner.
Time
45 minutes
People
2 to 10
Board
Problem, 5 whys, evidence, action
Plan
Free

Updated October 4, 2026

What's inside

The agenda

By the end of this meeting, we have a cause chain backed by evidence and one corrective action with an owner and a date.

45 min · 6 blocks, drawn to scale Fits exactly
  1. Ground rules: causes, not culprits, 3 minutes 3
  2. Agree the problem statement, 5 minutes 5
  3. Why, why, why: one level at a time, 20 minutesBrainstorm 20
  4. Read the chain backwards, 7 minutesDiscuss 7
  5. Corrective action, owner and date, 7 minutesDecide 7
  6. How we'll know it worked, 3 minutes 3
011233445 min
  1. +0′Ground rules: causes, not culpritsTip: If an answer names a person, ask what made that mistake easy to make. The process is the patient here, not the people.3 minInfo
  2. +3′Agree the problem statementTip: Specific and measurable: 'Line 2 stopped 4 times on Tuesday, losing 90 minutes', not 'the line is unreliable'. Replace with your own problem.5 minDecide
  3. +8′Why, why, why: one level at a timeTip: Everyone posts an answer to Why 1 in two minutes. Keep the best-supported answer, then ask why again. Add any proof to Evidence as you go. Stop when you reach something you can change, even if that's before five.20 minBrainstorm
  4. +28′Read the chain backwardsTip: Read it from the bottom up with 'therefore': 'there was no strainer, therefore scrap got into the pump, therefore...'. If a step doesn't follow, that why is wrong.7 minDiscuss
  5. +35′Corrective action, owner and dateTip: Fix the cause at the bottom of the chain. Add a quick containment step if the problem could happen again before the fix is in.7 minDecide
  6. +42′How we'll know it worked3 minWrap-up

How to run it

  1. 1Write a specific problem statement in the first area before anyone asks why.
  2. 2Ask each why out loud and give the room two minutes to answer from their phones. Keep the answer with the best evidence and move on.
  3. 3Stop when you reach a cause you can change; five is a guide, not a rule.
  4. 4Read the chain backwards with 'therefore' to test it, then agree one corrective action with an owner and a date.

Questions people ask

What is the 5 whys technique?
A simple root cause method from the Toyota Production System: ask why a problem happened, then why that happened, about five times, until you reach a cause you can fix.
What is a 5 whys example?
Taiichi Ohno's classic: a machine stopped because a fuse blew; the fuse blew because a bearing was poorly lubricated; the pump wasn't pumping enough; its shaft was worn; there was no strainer, so scrap got in. The fix is a strainer, not a new fuse.
Do you always have to ask why five times?
No. Stop when you reach a cause you can act on. Some problems need three whys, some need more than five.

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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Open it, make it yours, run it live.

Change anything in the editor. When you're ready, press Present: everyone joins with a scan and answers on their phone.

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