Retrospective Format Generator
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5 Whys Retro
Root cause analysis applied to retrospectives. The team identifies a key problem, then asks "Why?" five times to drill down to the root cause. Prevents surface-level fixes.
Sections
As a team, agree on 1-2 significant problems from the sprint.
Ask "Why did this happen?" and capture the first-level cause.
Ask "Why?" about the first answer. Go deeper.
Ask "Why?" again. You're getting closer to the root.
Ask "Why?" once more. Challenge assumptions.
Final "Why?" - you should now be at or near the root cause.
Define actions that address the root cause, not just symptoms.
Materials Needed
- •Whiteboard
- •Markers
- •Problem statement written clearly
- •Patience and curiosity
Facilitator Script
“Today we're digging deep with the 5 Whys. We're going to pick the biggest problem from our sprint and ask "Why?" five times to find the root cause. The goal is to go beyond symptoms to find what's really causing the issue. Let's start by agreeing on the problem we want to investigate.”
Pro Tip
Don't force exactly 5 whys. Sometimes you find the root cause in 3, sometimes it takes 7. The number is a guideline, not a rule.
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