Embracing the Power of Why

Over the years, I’ve had plenty of training opportunities, some more productive than others. However, one encounter stands out in my memory. During an early version of a manager course, a fellow attendee (a New Zealand manager with shaggy hair and a recognizable accent), shared an insightful thought. When asked what he would teach a new young engineer, his response was simple: “to ask why.” This advice stuck with me, especially as I was teaching college hire staff how not to mess up production services at the time. Over time, I’ve come to appreciate the profound significance of this little question. Here’s some examples of what I mean.

1. The Early Value of “Why”

At the beginning of our careers or new roles, the eagerness to prove ourselves often pushes us to rush headlong into tasks without question. I remember the countless looks of surprise when I asked an engineer why they were doing something that in retrospect didn’t seem right. Overlooking this fundamental question can lead to significant risks. It is that understanding that helps the more tenured engineers avoid making obvious mistakes.

2. Urgency and Priority

As a tech industry manager, I have frequently encountered people seeking attention as they try to cover last minute discoveries for their urgent project launches. The pressure can be overwhelming for the people that own these projects and those last-minute discoveries disrupt everything. In the moments of being told to drop everything for the critical ask, I’ve grown a reflex. “I want to help, tell me more? Why now?” By encouraging people to explain their urgency and motivations, there’s a deeper understanding of the situation, enabling more informed decisions. Often, perceived urgency arises from a fear of failure, but with discussion, there are alternatives. Sometimes people just want to be heard and reassured, that it will be ok.

3. Root Causing All the Way Down: The “5 Whys”

I also became intimately familiar with the ”5 Whys”, especially when dealing with customer-facing failures and drafting Correction of Error (COE) documents. This approach involves peeling away the layers of an issue to get to its core. For every finding as to why, we intentionally (sometimes awkwardly), ask a further why. We often immediately know the mitigations, but that’s not the same as true solutions. Finding ways to really prevent a problem comes from asking Why over and over, in every direction possible.

4. Reflex vs Action

I’ve launched many projects and there was one case of Why that I realized I had to learn. Turning on a new system for a whole country, we were doing it bit by bit. 60% of our customers were seeing the new feature. The senior manager asked if we were ready to dial-up further. The tense engineer replied “It looks good. We might wait a bit”. The manager replied, why?. The engineer was startled. We often use more caution than we need. The next question was simply, what would you learn? This conversation was genuine seeking information, and we concluded we had learned enough. We dialed up and delivered to customers sooner. It was a success. We have the power to challenge our reflexes and our caution, with a well-placed why?

Summary

The versatility of why has shown me that it is more than just a question; it’s a mindset that permeates all aspects of my professional life. It is also one that is actively cultivated in the more senior people I’ve worked with. The power of “why” is an invaluable tool.