Finding Causes for Problems

You can find the cause of a problem by following these seven steps:

Step 1 - Develop a Specific Written Problem Statement

In writing out your problem statement, make it specific and in the negative. Write “poor morale in the data processing section” not just “poor morale”. This not only helps pinpoint the problem, but also highlights what the real issue is.

Step 2 - Ask “What, Where and When” the Problem is Occurring and “What, Where and When” the Problem is not Occurring

At times, causes can be located more quickly if you clarify what  the problem is not, as well as what is. The better you define the boundaries of a problem by specifying where the problem is not occurring, the easier it is to determine the most probable causes.

Also, in Step 2 ask: “What is the extent of the problem?” That is, how bad or serious is the problem? This information can keep you from developing a R500 solution to fix a R3.00 problem.

These “what, where, when and extent” questions help you locate and isolate the problem area and thus show you where to look for causes. An electronics technician calls it “troubleshooting”; a doctor calls it is “diagnosing”. You might say it is “working smarter, not harder”.

For example, suppose you have a bad pain. Now what kinds of questions would your doctor ask before he/she says, “Take two aspirins and call me in the morning”? He or she might ask, “Where does it hurt? When does it bother you? When did you first notice it?” And “How much does it hurt?”

But good doctors do not stop there. They also ask questions about what the problem is not. For example, your doctor might ask, “Have you been experiencing pain anywhere else? Have you ever had this pain before?” and “When don’t you notice the pain?”

From asking such questions, your doctor might discover that your problem is only in your right elbow and not any other part of your body. It hurts all day, not just at certain times of the day. The pain first started six weeks ago. And you did not have it before then, except when you were in high school.

Step 3 - Closely Examine the Differences between Where and When the Problem is Occurring and Where and When it is not

If a problem exists in one area and not in another, the differences between the two areas can produce clues to help locate the cause. So, you ask: “What particular differences exist between where the problem is occurring and where it is not occurring?” or “What is different about when the problem occurs and when it does not?”

In the example of the pain problem in Step 2 above, by specifying what, where, when and to what extent the problem is and is not occurring, the doctor is able to identify the differences. For example, your doctor might discover that you are right-handed and that you were a softball pitcher in high school. Then, by determining the peculiar differences between what, where and when the problem is and is not, he/she is then able to look for changes in and around the differences.

Step 4 - Look Carefully for Changes that have occurred in and Around the Environment of the Problem

Changes can cause problems. In fact, problems are always caused by changes. Remember that problems where no change has occurred are not truly problems. They are decisions that must be made or plans that should be implemented. For example, guess what your doctor discovered you were doing with your child every night after supper for the past six weeks? Right! Your child joined the local little league baseball team and needed practice in catching.

Step 5 - Develop “Probable Cause Statements” Concerning the Changes Discovered in Step 4 by Linking Each Change to the Problem

Every change will produce its own unique probable cause statement. In the example of elbow pain above, a probable cause statement could be:
“Pitching softball with my child each night after supper has resulted in tendonitis in my elbow.”

Step 6 - Test Each Probable Cause Statement Against all the IS and IS NOT facts to Determine the Most Probable Cause

For example, your doctor might say:
“If it is tendonitis, would that account for the fact that the pain is in the right elbow and not the left?”

YES

“Would it account for the fact that it hurts constantly, and not just certain times in the day?”

YES

“That the pain first started six weeks ago, and you never had it before except when you were a pitcher in high school?”

YES

Since tendonitis checks out against the known set of simptoms, your doctor would then move to the next step – verifying that this really is the cause.

Step 7 - Verify the Most Probable Cause to Make Sure it is the Real Cause

In this final step, your doctor can verify the cause of your pain by gently probing your elbow, or by taking X-rays.

Note that these seven steps of problem-solving are usually inexpensive. They involve only paper and pencil, mental analysis and sometimes phone calls to gather confirming information. Acting to remedy the problem, of course, may involve financial commitment and many lost Rands if you fail to follow the problem-solving process above.

Yet, many people start their problem-solving efforts by throwing money into an ill-conceived solution before thinking through the problem. They jump in with both feet to act. Any action! They often end up spending much unnecessary time and money – and the problem still is not solved.

Click here to view an example of the Seven-Step process.