Tell me why

It will no doubt please you that this week Cicero is so full of energy and life that he is dangerous. So beware.

Cicero does however have some news that will shock you. Indeed the news that is about to be imparted will be so distressing to you that it will be best if you sit down and make yourself comfortable. Please make sure that there are no sharp objects or hot liquids near you. Cicero does not want yet another visit from the health and safety gauleiters. There is enough stress in Cicero’s life at the moment. Are you sitting comfortably? Are you ready for this devastating news? Are you prepared to be shocked?

It seems that Cicero is annoying.

Can you believe it? It is true. Cicero was informed by a colleague in his TSSB last week that by constantly asking ‘why?’, he had started to become annoying.

Although it is true that my favourite word is ‘why’ but in my defence I would argue that ‘why’ is the most powerful word in our language and it is my belief that the ‘why’ word offers all of us in any business the opportunity to create ever lasting change for our people, our customers and our business. Ok, you might want to choose to use it a wee bit more sparingly and less annoyingly than me but it is still a great word to use.

And one thing you will rapidly learn is just how many times you pose the question and how few times you will receive a positive and constructive answer. For the truth is that many people around us, and I include head honchos in this, do things because that is the way they have always been done without really understanding why they are being done that way in the first place.

And so today I want to introduce the 5 Why theory and encourage its use throughout your business.
There is a saying that "Knowledge means nothing without wisdom to profit by it." It's not who we are, who we know or what we know that is important but it's what we do with that knowledge. We all have tremendous power to do good or ill depending on how we put our knowledge to use. Our minds are constantly gathering knowledge of all kinds, both intentionally and subconsciously. If we understand, we can begin to use this knowledge. Too often we focus on collecting knowledge but we lack understanding. 5 Why is the pursuit of understanding. That is why asking "why?" is a most import habit for those of us concerned with making things better.

Sadly this theory is not mine but comes from a Toyota head honcho who introduced the theory to teach people to look beyond the obvious causes of problems and issues to the underlying systemic root causes

The 5 why process works not with asking only five times. Rather it is a practice of persistently asking "why?" until we peel away the layers of apparent reality to the true facts until we have uncovered the real root cause of a problem or have exposed the sheer stupidity and illogicality of the way we do things. Not asking why, and instead believing that we know the answer, causes us to solve the wrong problems or to persist in doing things badly to the detriment of our people, our customers and our business.

Leaders need to be curious, to question, to seek out the truth so they can take more effective action to solve problems and address issues rather than believe they are right and not ask why. Our brains are designed to filter out extra information, to ignore much of what goes on around us and to go with the path that feels right, rather than take time to question deeply. When this works it is called intuition, when it does not it is called confirmation bias. There may be developmental reasons for this related to a species' survival in the wild. Yet we can't afford to ignore evidence that lead us to false paths.

Cicero understands that it must be annoying to be constantly facing a barrage of ‘whys’ but surely it is better to ask why than be condemned to live in the Dark Ages. Why is it wrong to seek progress? Why is it wrong to want to drive change? Why don’t we accept that as leaders it is our duty to challenge our business? Why is…….sorry I am getting carried away, I can’t help myself. Apologies.

Let me finish by quoting Kipling

‘I . know a person small—
She keeps ten million serving-men,
Who get no rest at all!
She sends 'em abroad on her own affairs,
From the second she opens her eyes--
One million Hows, two million Wheres,
And seven million Whys’

Now that must be really annoying. Even I’m not that bad.

Is it only me?

Cicero is indebted this week to his most devoted and bestest subscriber for this update from the Royal Society for the Protection of the Incredibly Stupid.

It now appears that any business that offers any kind of liquid refreshment facility to its customers is supposed to, according to the health and safety gauleiters, install a dish washer so that said drinking bowls can be washed without risk of contamination to its employees. Note contamination to employees not customers.

Is it only me who thinks that is so wrong on a number of levels? Firstly such news will be a devastating blow to our eco-mentalist friends. For while they are going flat out to save the planet, they will not be best pleased that their friends in the RSPIS are equally going flat out to protect individuals from the non existent risk of customer contamination and thereby increasing global warming.

Also this is a ridiculous expense for a small company, and where's the sense in it? When we're at home, do we only ever wash our own crockery? Maybe the health and safety gauleiters should close down any business which serves customers just in case an employee picks up bad habits.

To whom are such people accountable?

Have a great week.

Sit felix. Et sit fortunatus.