The Root Of The Rot

The Root Of The Rot

Have you ever had a problem that refused to go away?  NO matter WHAT you did, sooner OR later it would return, perhaps in another form.  Then stubborn OR recurring problems are [in REALITY] often symptoms of chronic OR deeper issues.  True, 'QUICK FIXES' may seem easy and convenient BUT in reality, they often solve only the surface issues and end up waste resources that could otherwise be used to tackle the real ROOT CAUSE.  In short, to get to the very  Root Of The Rot, go deeper, way beyond the surface📗📙📘

In the corporate world, we were always equipped with that 'fish bone' analysis WHICH, in a nutshell, it framed the '5 WHYs' Technique'.  Simply put, keep asking WHY over and over again because that in essence drills down to the very root cause.  Then, WHEN a countermeasure becomes apparent, it is imperative that you will follow-through to 'nip things in the bud', for that recurring problem NOT to recur [again]💦💦💦

Now, let me play the devil's advocate.  WHEN do we use the 5 WHYs Technique?  Experts have concurred that this is the best and simplest technique to tackle and resolve relatively simple OR moderate problems and that includes troubleshooting, quality improvement and problem solving.  BUT for complex problems, it may NOT be that effective because the 5 WHYs Technique can lead you to pursue a single track OR a limited number of tracks WHEN in fact there could be multiple causes.  In those complex scenarios, the CAUSE and EFFECT analysis may be more effective then💧💧💧

Over time, though, the simple 5 WHYs Technique can often direct us quickly to the root cause of a problem.  So, whenever a process ISN'T working properly, let's GIVE IT A TRY  before we embark on a more in-depth approach [and certainly before we attempt to develop a solution].  The past donkey years, I bear witness to multiple situations WHERE people [wrongly[ thought they have FIXED a problem with finality, only to see that problem recur come next week, next month OR next year💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  Let us embed deep within us that discipline to get to the ROOT OF THE ROT because IF and WHEN we miss that out, we will get locked-in into that vicious cycle WHEN problems will continue to recur and haunt us over and over again.  BUT WHO wants to get caught into that chronic cycle?  Obviously no one BUT I've witnessed with my naked eyes many of us unconscious and unaware that we continue to miss out the boat because we fail to address recurring problems head-on with that 5 WHYs Technique.  BUT we DON'T want to be blamed for having done TOO little TOO late.  BUT hey, getting into the ROOT OF THE ROT is the way to go [if we're that dead serious dude]😊😊😊