Finding the root cause
of a self-belief
30 minutes
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A marker or a pen
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A sheet of paper or a notebook
What is this tool and what is its purpose and benefit?
The 5 Whys is a reflective method that helps to find the root cause of a self-belief by repeatedly asking "Why?" to uncover the underlying reasons, such as assumptions, memories, or emotional patterns. This can unveil the right beliefs and experiences for career development.
Self-beliefs can have a positive or negative impact on an individual’s career development. The 5 Whys helps to dismantle negative self-beliefs that can hinder career development, by demonstrating that such beliefs are typically formed from past experiences, assumptions or emotional patterns. When used with positive self-beliefs, it can help to understand what makes those beliefs strong, stable and emotionally grounded. It uncovers the experiences, values and internal evidence that support a belief in a healthy way and can therefore be better harnessed for career development.
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
STEP 4
STEP 5
STEP 6
STEP 7
Choose one positive or one negative self-assumption and write it down.
For example, this could be “I am bad at organising events”.
Ask yourself “why?” (why you think this) to find out why you think the way you do.
For example, if your self belief is “I am not good at organising events”, asking yourself “why?” helps you deepen your understanding of your answer. You might respond, for example, “Because I have never done it”.
Ask “why?” for the second time in response to your previous answer.
In this example, “why?” is asked for the second time in response to “Because I have never done it”. The answer could be “Because I have always been told that I get in the way of other people”.
Continue by asking “why?” again for the third time.
In the example, “why?” is asked in response to “Because I have always been told that I get in the way of other people”. The answer to “why?” in the example could be “Because I ask questions about what is going on”.
Ask “why?” for the fourth time.
In the example, “why?” is this time asked in response to “Because I ask questions about what is going on”. One possible answer to “why?” in the example could be “Because I want to know what is going on”.
Ask “why” for the fifth time.
In the example, ‘why” is this time asked in response to “Because I want to know what is going on”. The answer to “why” in the example could be “Because I want to understand and help”.
Look at your final answer and compare it with the initial self-assumption.
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If the self-assumption is negative: Look at your last answer and compare it with your initial statement. What is the actual reason behind your statement? Is your initial statement true at all?
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If the self-assumption is positive: Look at your last answer and compare it with your initial statement. Is your initial statement true? How does your root cause support your initial statement?
The example shows that the person is not necessarily bad at organising events. There is no evidence to suggest otherwise. Instead, the person demonstrates curiosity and a willingness to understand the process, though this has always been overlooked.
Steps for using this tool
Tips and hints for using this tool
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You can repeat this exercise as many times as you like, making as many assumptions about yourself as you wish.
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You can also complete this exercise with another person. For example, they could help you consider the difference between your initial statement and your final response.
The 5 Whys was initially developed by Taiichi Ohno for the Toyota Production System. Since then, it has been widely used in areas such as design.
