Five Whys
Solo – Pen & Paper – 5 Minutes
How to Run Five Whys
- Have participants prepare to write
- Ask them to write down the initial question they’re responding to at the top of their papers
- Have everyone write a one-sentence response to that question (emphasize that it should be short)
- Looking at the sentence they just wrote, have them write their response to the question, “Why is what you just wrote down true or important?” and have them write their answer to that question in one sentence
- Repeat step 4 three more times, leaving participants with a total of five sentences — their initial response and the subsequent four answers to “Why?”
Example & Prompt
It is one week after a heated meeting. You want the group to clarify for themselves what is most important to remember while they are in conflict with each other. For the topic sentence, begin with:
“It is important during moments of conflict that…”
After they respond, ask them why what they just wrote is true or important (have them pick one) and respond to that new sentence. Repeat three more times, resulting in everyone having a total of five sentences when finished.
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