5W1H: How I apply the 5W1H framework to work

I learned the?5W1H framework?in primary school (elementary school in certain parts of the world) in the late 1990s. While I struggled with rote learning (hard memorization) and mathematical concepts,?critical thinking?frameworks like the 5W1H framework really stuck with me and it never felt too difficult to apply in every aspect of my life. It helped me make sense of topics I was passionate about and topics I had to research for school reports. Fast forward to my 30s, I use 5W1H frameworks almost every day to make sense of different problems I have to solve at work and even to reflect on?my life lessons. I thought I’d share examples of how such a framework is now an important part of my life.

What is the 5W1H framework?

The 5W1H framework is a set of questions that helps break down problems and show different perspectives. These questions start with:

• Who
• What
• Where
• When
• Why
• How

Read more about the?5W1H framework.

How do I apply the 5W1H framework?

Customer complaints

When trying to better understand and solve customer complaints and feedback, I use the 5W1H framework to provide the best solution for the problem faced by the customer. It also helps me to sort through the confusion.

Customers and staff involved may be experiencing strong negative emotions that may make it difficult for them to explain their situations clearly. By establishing a factual chronological timeline of events and using this framework to collect information, the solution usually shows up more clearly.

Example of solving a customer complaint with the 5W1H Framework

Possible questions using the 5W1H Framework for solving customer complaints

• Who does the complaint involve?
• What happened?
• Where did this happen?
• When did this happen?
• Why did this happen?
• How can we solve this?

These are not questions to ask the customer or employee involved in the dispute, but they are questions I ask myself to develop further questions to validate or invalidate my hypothesis of each situation. I ask these questions to different parties involved.

For example, a customer may have not received their item as promised. I may notice from checking with the customer that this issue might point towards a logistics issue. If required, I speak to a counterpart in the logistics department and continue asking questions:

1. to see if there are any additional details missing from the chronological timeline
2. to check if there is anything amiss and if my hypothesis is correct
3. to identify if there are other departments and processes potentially involved that may not be logistics related that led to the issue

I repeat this process as many times as required until I have an explanation for the problem that leads me to a good solution to prevent the same issue from reoccurring.

Creating stronger content marketing plans

The objective of content marketing is to build a relationship with a target audience, usually a potential buyer persona for a business. I need to understand the target buyer persona as deeply as possible. This allows me to create content topics that resonate with them and catch their attention by either affirming or raising questions about a subject, speaking to them about their considerations and hesitations that are stopping them from purchasing.

Example of creating a stronger content marketing plan with the 5W1H Framework

Possible questions using the 5W1H Framework for content marketing

• Who is someone that would buy this product?
• What are they concerned about?
• Where do they usually shop, live, or spend their time?
• When do they purchase such a product?
• Why do they purchase such a product? What problem are they trying to solve?
• How can we make the customer believe we are the best product to solve those problems?
• How do we find people who are similar to the customers who have already purchased such a product?
• How do we find people who share similar problems with existing customers of the product?

These questions are again, just the beginning. It helps me structure my research and go deeper and deeper with more levels of questions.

Some of the answers to these questions then form the basis of the content I create. Basically, if I find out that customers who buy the product I market tend to question their ability to make financial decisions, I might eventually create content around:

1. to improve their understanding of how to make choices and break down complicated decisions with decision-making frameworks.
2. to affirm their emotional reaction toward making financial decisions by showing them other people who feel the same
3. to explain how my product could help them make better financial decisions in the long-term

I improve the questions I ask myself about existing customers to build greater context and generate even more ideas for content, even mixing and matching different answers I find that make sense.

An example is if I understand through these questions that a particular high-value item may be something people similar to my existing customers would aspire to own, I could also show how my product could help them eventually build towards paying for that item. The answers to these questions help me collect information that I can then observe and sort out.

Managing a project with clarity

Project management can be complex. I must plan and meet timelines well as a project manager. My stakeholders must be clearly communicated to, consulted, and kept informed, and my budgets have to be managed well and prioritize areas that create the most impact. I can use the 5W1H framework to ensure that all details of the project are organized and aligned before embarking on it.

Example of managing a project with clarity with the 5W1H Framework

Possible questions using the 5W1H Framework for project management

• Who owns the project and who does the project involve?
• What are their goals and what constitutes success to them?
• What is the project about and what are the objectives of the project?
• Where does the project happen?
• Does the location of the project have any impact on the way the work will be done on the project? (E.g. country-specific concerns)
• When will the project start and when must it be completed?
• Why start this project? What are the goals of the project and how do they tie in with the goals of the project owner and stakeholders?
• If the project has not been successful and you’re entering it to fix it: Why has the project not started earlier? Why has the project been delayed?
• How much budget or resources do you have to achieve the goals of the project?

By searching for the answers with relevant stakeholders and piecing together your own research, you might be able to better manage the project because you’re much clearer on not just the end goal, but the motivations for various departments and resources you may work with and how your project can contribute to their own goals. It personally helps me understand what to prioritize in the event of a limited budget and/or resources. Project management isn’t about perfection. It is about adapting to the constraints, and negotiating when conflict or issues arise within projects, while still working towards milestones and delivering the desired outcomes.

Continuing to use the 5W1H framework for work

The 5W1H framework is a very logical and systematic way of really working through any problem. These are just three examples of how critical thinking with the framework can be applied, but there are so many more ways to use this question system. This is how I can?jump into very different roles?through the years and continuously solve different problems big or small.

This article is inspired by my recent lunch catch-up with my primary school teacher, Miss Suzanne Chia. She was my form teacher from the age of 11 to 12 when I graduated from primary school. We discussed the importance of?critical thinking in the workplace?and how I was so fortunate to have picked this framework up in my childhood. A huge thank you to the educators and mentors who taught me various frameworks and models to help me develop critical thinking. It’s one of the best things taught to me.

I hope you find this article helpful and provide a new way of looking at problem-solving in your own work.

Featured photo by?Kelly Sikkema?on?Unsplash