Five Whys Worksheet

Why	Root Cause	Reflection	Plans
1.	What is the problem or challenge you're facing?	Write down the issue you're dealing with in clear and specific terms.
2.	Why is this happening?	Consider the immediate cause of the problem. Ask yourself why this cause exists.
3.	Why does this cause exist?	Dig deeper into the underlying reasons behind the immediate cause. Ask yourself why this deeper cause exists.
4.	Why does this deeper cause exist?	Continue to uncover the underlying factors contributing to the problem. Ask yourself why this factor exists.
5.	Why does this factor exist?	Identify the root cause of the problem. This is the fundamental reason behind the issue you're facing.

The Five Whys Worksheet

Practice:

Why is it happening?_____________________________________________________________________

Why is that?_____________________________________________________________________________

Identified Root Cause:

You can download more Mental Health worksheets Here

Please note: There may be a more up-to-date and editable version of this worksheet available Here which may be more suitable to present to clients if you are a therapist or to use in a classroom as a teacher or guidance counselor.

References

1.Braglia M, Frosolini M, Gallo M. SMED enhanced with 5-Whys Analysis to improve set-upreduction programs: the SWAN approach. The international journal of advanced manufacturing technology. 2017 May;90:1845-55.

2.Barsalou M, Starzyńska B. Inquiry into the Use of Five Whys in Industry. Quality Innovation Prosperity. 2023;27(1):62.