We reviewed hiring and onboarding data and saw how fast managers pushed to hire. We had a fair number of steps in our hiring process, but we could move through those steps quickly (and, perhaps, too quickly).
Looking at onboarding, we also found our process covered the usual administrative tasks like taking PTO or logging client hours. Yet, we hadn’t addressed the need for continuous performance management or close mentorship.
Why 5: Why were we hiring so quickly and using a limited onboarding process?
At this stage, you can see how organizational goals and challenges influenced my team. Our company was growing rapidly, and client count and expectations grew accordingly. Growth pressured the hiring managers, who wanted to just get people onto the team to meet ballooning demand.
The rush also led to a rushed onboarding australia telegram data process. We were so focused on getting team members that we didn’t put enough energy into keeping them. We were missing a strategic focus on long-term team development, which included deeper onboarding and more effective mentorship and performance management.
Using the 5 Whys to Improve Your Organization
From this approach, we took measures to make substantial improvements:
- Reassessing the pressure to scale quickly.
- Tinkering with hiring and onboarding processes to find best-fit people for our growth stage.
- Implementing more structure and feedback opportunities to boost performance.
- Doubling down on team development as a core component of managers’ roles and responsibilities (including my own role).
These changes helped build a stronger, more resilient team who consistently met and exceeded client expectations. It wasn’t a perfect solution — growth always surfaces new challenges. But, it got us going in a more informed direction.
Pro tip: You can run the 5 Whys with nothing more than a whiteboard and dry-erase marker, but it’s tough to think through challenges on the spot. I recommend using our 5 Whys template to break through barriers and start mulling.
It’s also vital to note that you can only entertainment programs for people perform the 5 Whys successfully if your company culture can accept failure and not resort to blame and distrust. While you should own failure and learn from it, you cannot do so in a place where you don’t feel safe.
That lack of safety leads to ignoring data that points to the “wrong” conclusion, not fully analyzing the situation, or failing to follow through on needed changes.
My experience also raises an important point of caution that Smolko echoed.
“While straightforward, the 5 Whys business sale lead method has limitations,” she said. “It assumes a single root cause and relies heavily on accurate data. Many marketing challenges are multifaceted, requiring deeper exploration and validation.”
This approach helps you get started, but a true root cause analysis should push you beyond a single-cause mentality.