How A Podcast Saved My life

I was listening to an episode of an HBR IdeaCast where ShannonHuffman Polson spoke about her time in the military. She overcame many obstacles to fly U.S. Army attack helicopters. She remembered what her father told her “If you were to clean for 25cents, earn every cent.” She then mentioned the technique that saved my life. It was developed by Sakichi Toyoda, a Japanese inventor and industrialist, the technique became an integral part of the Lean philosophy. The method became popular in the 1970s and is still in use till today. They have used the technique to get to the root of production failures in the production plant.

 

This technique has been added to a group of ideas that is called Lean philosophy. The technique is called The 5 Whys Technique. The 5 whys technique implies that when you encounter a problem, dig deeper into the investigation. Ask Why five times instead of once. What this does is that it helps you to get to the root of the matter and gives clarity. Often times, we are able to reveal the idea or fear or fault that led to the outcome we see. We have that light-bulb moment and ideas start to surface and the solution begins to appear. The incredible part is that the culprit discovered is not the usual suspect. It turns out that 9 times out of 10, the source of the issue or defect is completely remote.

 

Ask yourself for instance, why were you late for the meeting last time? Maybe you were engrossed in some work on your desk and you forgot the time for the meeting. You could have set an alarm or reminder when you got the invite for the meeting. Why were you engrossed in the work on your desk? Maybe you had put off some of the work until the last minute and your table has become a heap. What you easily passed as a few minute's work has grown into a full day’s work.

 

One thing I enjoy about this technique is that it helps me to hold myself accountable. It helps me to identify the room for improvement immediately and address it in a lasting way.

 

Scientists have proven that a million thoughts go on in our heads each minute. Many times, we are tempted to spring into action on tasks without evaluating the purpose of the tasks and getting the best use of our time. Having a strong sense of purpose for each task would equip you with the energy you need to persevere when you come across obstacles. A mother who has a child in a burning building would not hesitate to run into the fire to get her child. That is the power of purpose. “A man with clarity reaches his goal sooner than the man with confidence.” ― Amit Kalantri, Wealth of Words.

 

These days, many people complain of information overload. The amount of information we consume is enormous. Young people are seen spending hours and hours on their smartphones. Who is to blame when you could do almost everything you want right on your mobile? You can order lunch, pay bills or hail a ride. Heck, you can even get medical service right on your mobile. "Declaring freedom from your smartphone is probably the most serious step you can take toward embracing the attention resistance" -Cal Newport.

The 5 Whys Technique comes in handy in decision making. Before you spring up to take that knee-jerk decision, go through the 5 Whys procedure. By the time you are done, you would have some clarity as to what you want to do and why. Your reason would both be authentic and strong. Strong enough to withstand the resistance you meet along the way.

I would like to hear your views. Have you tried the technique? What were your results? Please leave your comments below.