A straightforward explanation of root cause analysis and systems thinking, illustrating, with real-world examples and first-hand accounts, why things can ‘slip through our fingers’ and what to do to reduce the chances of things going off track. Beyond the Five Whys summarises, for the first time, many of the tried and tested ways of understanding problems using insights from aviation, high reliability organisations and a range of thought-provoking sources. The book provides readers with a clear and structured explanation how to analyse setbacks and head off problems in the first place. It will challenge much of the received wisdom, such as the idea there can be one root cause or that a person or bad culture could be a root cause. Specific areas covered: Learn what root causes are, how they differ from immediate and contributing causes and why it’s so important to go beyond the Five Whys technique for root cause analysis. Recalibrate the way you think about things going wrong, incorporating insights from systems thinking, so you can be clearer what ‘cultural’ or systemic problems mean in practice. Learn about the eight principal ways things can slip through our fingers. Go beyond the blame game and firefighting to avoid the never ending cycle of repeating issues. Strengthen your ability to read the output of a ‘lessons learned’ or enquiry report. Get a fresh perspective, using these techniques, on why the Titanic tragedy turned out so badly, and understand the numerous parallels between what happened then and a range of recent setbacks we have seen, such as the Covid 19 pandemic. Consider the broader application of these techniques to some of the challenges we face in the 21st century. Beyond the Five Whys also contains supplemental guidance how to make improvements in an organisation. It is of value to business managers and those in specialist roles such as GRC, ESG, risk, compliance, quality, project management, H&S, IT, and internal audit roles.

This book is open access under a CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO license. This book comprehensively covers topics in knowledge management and competence in strategy development, management techniques, collaboration mechanisms, knowledge sharing and learning, as well as knowledge capture and storage. Presented in accessible “chunks,” it includes more than 120 topics that are essential to high-performance organizations. The extensive use of quotes by respected experts juxtaposed with relevant research to counterpoint or lend weight to key concepts; “cheat sheets” that simplify access and reference to individual articles; as well as the grouping of many of these topics under recurrent themes make this book unique. In addition, it provides scalable tried-and-tested tools, method and approaches for improved organizational effectiveness. The research included is particularly useful to knowledge workers engaged in executive leadership; research, analysis and advice; and corporate management and administration. It is a valuable resource for those working in the public, private and third sectors, both in industrialized and developing countries.

Great things don't happen in a vacuum. But creating an environment for creative thinking and innovation can be a daunting challenge. How can you make it happen at your company? The answer may surprise you: gamestorming. This book includes more than 80 games to help you break down barriers, communicate better, and generate new ideas, insights, and strategies. The authors have identified tools and techniques from some of the world's most innovative professionals, whose teams collaborate and make great things happen. This book is the result: a unique collection of games that encourage engagement and creativity while bringing more structure and clarity to the workplace. Find out why -- and how -- with Gamestorming. Overcome conflict and increase engagement with team-oriented games Improve collaboration and communication in cross-disciplinary teams with visual-thinking techniques Improve understanding by role-playing customer and user experiences Generate better ideas and more of them, faster than ever before Shorten meetings and make them more productive Simulate and explore complex systems, interactions, and dynamics Identify a problem's root cause, and find the paths that point toward a solution

The inspirational bestseller that ignited a movement and asked us to find our WHY Discover the book that is captivating millions on TikTok and that served as the basis for one of the most popular TED Talks of all time—with more than 56 million views and counting. Over a decade ago, Simon Sinek started a movement that inspired millions to demand purpose at work, to ask what was the WHY of their organization. Since then, millions have been touched by the power of his ideas, and these ideas remain as relevant and timely as ever. START WITH WHY asks (and answers) the questions: why are some people and organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees alike? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their success over and over? People like Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers had little in common, but they all started with WHY. They realized that people won't truly buy into a product, service, movement, or idea until they understand the WHY behind it. START WITH WHY shows that the leaders who have had the greatest influence in the world all think, act and communicate the same way—and it's the opposite of what everyone else does. Sinek calls this powerful idea The Golden Circle, and it provides a framework upon which organizations can be built, movements can be led, and people can be inspired. And it all starts with WHY.

In this book, author Sadao Nomura taps into his decades of experience leading and advising Toyota operations in a wide variety of operations to tell the story of radical improvement at Toyota Logistics & Forklift (TL&F). This book tells in great detail what the author did with TL&F, how they did it, and the dramatic results that ensued. TL&F has long been a global leader in its industry. TL&F is part of Toyota Industries Corporation, which was founded by Toyota Group founder Sakichi Toyoda almost 100 years ago. Sakichi Toyoda is legendary in the Lean community as the originator of the all-important "JIDOKA" pillar of TPS, which ensures 1) built-in quality and 2) respect for people through ensuring that technology works for people rather than the other way around. Although TL&F seemed to be performing well, insiders knew that, as the founding company of the Toyota group, it needed to do better, especially in the quality performance of its global subsidiary operations. But improvement would not be easy in a company that already prided itself in its history as an exemplar in providing highest quality products and services. In 2006, TL&F requested assistance from Sadao Nomura. The initial request was for Mr. Nomura to support quality improvement in three global operations that had become part of TL&F through acquisition: US, Sweden, and France. Improvement was expected at these affiliates, but the dramatic nature of the improvement was not. Further, the improvement activities were so powerful that they were also instituted at the parent operations in Japan. Over a period of almost ten years, the company with the name most associated with product quality experienced quality improvement unparalleled in its history. "Dantotsu" means "extreme," "radical," or "unparalleled."

Do you have recurring problems that are costing you time and money? Unresolved problems do more than aggravate. They can increase costs, lower quality, and drive customers away. Plus, quality management processes, such as ISO 9001, require organizations to have a corrective and preventive action process in place. Root cause analysis is integral to the success of any corrective action or problem-solving process. Unfortunately, root cause analysis is an often maligned, misunderstood, and misapplied process. Instead of viewing root cause analysis as an opportunity for improvement, many see it only as an admission that things have gone wrong. Root cause analysis should be seen as an opportunity, not a chore. This practical guide offers proven techniques for using root cause analysis in your organization. Inside you’ll find: What root cause analysis is When (and when not) to use root cause analysis Who should participate in the root cause analysis process How to construct a root cause analysis checklist Examples of how a well-run root cause analysis process works And much more!

In the work environment we need to ask ourselves to know more about what is actually happening in the process. Have you ever wondered why a problem happened? Discover how to identify the root cause with the book 5 why.

Discover the essential thinking tools you’ve been missing with The Great Mental Models series by Shane Parrish, New York Times bestselling author and the mind behind the acclaimed Farnam Street blog and “The Knowledge Project” podcast. This first book in the series is your guide to learning the crucial thinking tools nobody ever taught you. Time and time again, great thinkers such as Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett have credited their success to mental models–representations of how something works that can scale onto other fields. Mastering a small number of mental models enables you to rapidly grasp new information, identify patterns others miss, and avoid the common mistakes that hold people back. The Great Mental Models: Volume 1, General Thinking Concepts shows you how making a few tiny changes in the way you think can deliver big results. Drawing on examples from history, business, art, and science, this book details nine of the most versatile, all-purpose mental models you can use right away to improve your decision making and productivity. This book will teach you how to: Avoid blind spots when looking at problems. Find non-obvious solutions. Anticipate and achieve desired outcomes. Play to your strengths, avoid your weaknesses, … and more. The Great Mental Models series demystifies once elusive concepts and illuminates rich knowledge that traditional education overlooks. This series is the most comprehensive and accessible guide on using mental models to better understand our world, solve problems, and gain an advantage.

This book is intended for anyone who wants to know about the 5 Whys and how to use them.The Five Whys tool is considered as the number one tool in ease of use in recognizing the truth of the problems and revealing its causing secrets, as it is considered a complement to many quality tools and systems. Although, there are few who can explain it well, and some even talk about it as if nothing.If you are a student, worker, manager, nurse, teacher, unemployed or anything else and you encounter problems and want to solve them from their roots in an easy and effective way, then this book will help you put your feet on the route of knowledge.As a help, I added templates to help you sort ideas and find causes.When I wrote this work, I tried to keep away from prolonged unhelpful explanation or the use of theorizing. I relied on my accumulated experience over more than 20 years in the field of quality to summarize this topic in an easy, smooth and possibly new way.In this book, you will learn about: - Definition of the problem.- How to represent the problem as a tree.- Learn about the Five Whys.- Types of the Five Whys: simple, tree, in an organization.- When to use each type or method.- Detailed usage steps.- When to stop asking questions.- How to know that you have reached the root of the problem.- Attributes that the problem-solving persons should have.- How to benefit you as a leader.- How to benefit you in your job.- Rocket and the fly theory in dealing with problems.- Examples, exercises, models, etc