Analyzing the root cause of every issue is based on examining your interests, skills, and values through self-assessment. 

Every day, you will be faced with at least one problem to deal with. But it's easier when you realize that it's simply a matter of choice. There's nothing ‘scary’ about them but having to make decisions.

Complaints are not helpful in difficult situations

In reality, we are constantly solving the problem. The better our problem-solving skills, the easier our life will be.

Problems arise in many forms and shapes. They can be mundane as daily or more complex problems:

• What to eat for dinner?
• Which way to go to work?
• How can I fix a project that is running behind schedule?
• How do you change someone's behaviours?
• How do you change your employee's working style? 

Since 1930, Sakichi Toyoda, who is known as the "king of investment" has developed the technique of asking questions “why” 5 times (5 WHY). This problem-solving technique has been applied for the the well-known Toyota brand in the 1970s. Until now, 5 Whys is still using by some of the smartest persons in the world. 

5 Whys is an important skill to help you identify areas for improvement so that your ability to adapt and achieve high results in the job can be increased. Additionally, you can develop greater situational and social awareness for yourselves by digging deep to find the root cause of any problem.

Let’s figure out an example of this technique: Your employee often arrives late at the office every morning. Being responsible for employee's behaviours at work, your solution immediately will be: "After being reminded, he/ she should be early for work. Then from tomorrow, I will remind him/ her to set the clock earlier so they can go to work on time". But if you ask "whys" 5 times, then the solution will be changed into a better direction for you and your employee.

Ask 5 "whys" and answer them to find out the root cause of the problem as follows:

1- Why do you arrive late at work? Answer: Because I wake up late to go to work every morning.

2- Why don't you wake up early to go to work every morning? Answer: Because I am very tired and prefer to sleep more.

3- Why don't you like to work early? Answer: Because the job doesn't attract me like before. 

4- Why are you sticking to this job when it doesn't attract you? Answer: Because this role required the skills I don't like to learn or apply for myself. 

5- Why are you not interested in learning those skills? Answer: Because I'm afraid to admit that I made a mistake in choosing my skills.

Conclusion: After asking yourself these 5 questions, the reason that caused your employee's lack of performance is revealed as "You’re often late for work because you choose the wrong skills" and from here, learning about specific solutions to improve your working style is not overwhelmed anymore. 

Problem-solving story

Once upon a time, there was a wise who met a lot of people around him every day, but they constantly lamented about the same problems over and over again.

Eventually, he decided to tell them a funny story and they all start to laugh out loud. After a few minutes, he told them the same joke, and only a few of them smile.

When he told the same joke for the third time no one laughed anymore.

Finally, the wise man said: “You could not laugh with the same joke over and over again. So why were you always complaining about the same problem?”

Source: Internet