Tim asked for examples of things that could work in teaching a course. I
am teaching some Master Level courses in this area and have found the 5
whys to be a great activity for students to apply to a particularly
nagging problem they have faced at work that just doesn't see to go away
or be "fixed" no matter what interventions are used.
I recommend you give them very specific instructions and practice one in
class before turning them loose on their own. Another thing I have found
is that the people who try this with a group at work, which is what I try
to get them to do, will get to the 3rd why and, for a variety of reasons,
stop for going any further. The 4th and 5th levels are where the root
causes probably lie, but groups seem to get resistant when they get closer
to the "truth" of the matter.
Call me if you want to chat further Tim.
--Bill Hendry | work e-mail: sfidba@thpl.lib.fl.us Organizational Development Consultant and Trainer Hillsborough County, FL (813) 276-2727, fax (813) 276-2197
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>