Awareness and Root Cause Analysis

More often than not, we find ourselves looking for root causes that either do not exist or only exist in our non-factual assumptions. Indeed, one of the most important aspects of solving issues in any process improvement initiative is to find the right root cause that needs to be addressed. But how can we go from assuming root causes or even working with data that are only available to the naked eye? How can we avoid bias, especially in an environment in which workers (including yourself as a continuous improvement facilitator) are too accustomed to? Let's learn about awareness in the video below. Watch it first, then continue on reading.

What have you learned? Yes, it is too easy to look for the things that you want to see or have been told to look for. Don't get too frustrated if you did not see what the narrator in the video asks at the end of the first exercise, it's just how your brain works. It does in a way that it has been told to do. For most of us mortals, the same applies to root cause(s) hunting. We will most likely look for easy targets, things that we are used to at our workplace, things that we think are the cause of the problem. While we still can be tricked by our own biased brains, some tips may be helpful:

1. Whenever possible, have an uneducated external eye; by uneducated we mean someone who does not belong to that process. It is more likely that this external set of eyes will see things your team perhaps cannot.

2. Break the paradigm and sometimes, the rules. The narrator in the video told you to perform a task. Had you not done it exactly how he suggested, could you have found something else?

3. Repeat the observation as many times as possible. This is a technique used by detectives. They watch the same video (or process) over and over again, always looking for new information. How often does your Process Improvement Teams actually watch their processes when trying to find root causes?

As process excellence practitioners, we have seen it many times. Improvement teams that are either moving too fast towards resolution, or do not have enough resources for root cause investigation, or just want to "get it done" are more likely to miss out on the true root cause(s) of any process' issues. As usual, eZSigma can help your organization to effectively uncover root causes of problems your organization may be experiencing. We can help your organization to find the moonwalking bear.