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Criterion
A 5 Whys working surface connects an observable problem with evidenced causes, marked uncertainty and concrete countermeasures with ownership.
Operations
5 Whys
Paper illustration for Mad Sad Glad
Agile
Mad Sad Glad
Paper illustration for Learning Review.
Operations
Learning Review
Paper illustration for Kepner-Tregoe
Operations
Kepner-Tregoe
Purposedifferent
For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description.When a team's or workshop's mood needs to become readable, it structures emotional signals with little setup. It makes strain, relief, and sources of energy tangible.After a project phase with mixed results, the method makes learning from the individual case reusable. It connects events, decisions, and systemic conditions into robust insights.For a disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations.
Complexitydifferent
LowLowMediumHigh
Timedifferent
15-30 min30-60 min1-3 h2-8 h
Participantsdifferent
2-63-103-102-8
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshopWorkshopWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Root cause notes, CountermeasuresEmotion Board, Themes, Action ItemsLearning Review Notes, System Factors, Improvement ActionsProblem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan
Tagsno overlap
Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving
RetrospectiveTeamReflection
LearningRetrospectiveIncidentOperations
Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations
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