The method of the Five Ws

At work, it is important to ask the right questions. In every situation, you should understand and evaluate each context, objectives and constraints. This analysis of each fact allows you to approach a problem in the best possible way.

In order to achieve this methodical thinking, you should use this simple, reliable and versatile tool: the 5W1H method.

Otherwise known as the questioning method or the method of the Five Ws, 5W1H is an acronym in which every letter corresponds to a question: what, who, where, when, how and why.

This technique allows you to understand a situation, to discern a problem by analysing all aspects. As outlined by Jean-Pierre Giraud on the blog?The big sales techniques?: “The 5W1H method allows you to discern the information needed to better understand, encompass, clarify, structure, frame a situation; as this way of thinking allows you to explore all the dimensions from different perspectives”.

The 5W1H method is problem resolution tool because this allows you to understand a potentially problematic situation by asking the right questions.

• What are the facts? What worked? What are they trying to achieve? Description of the problem.
• Who can help?
• Where can you resolve the problem? Additional help. Best environment.
• When is the solution needed?
• Why did the problem happen?
• How does the problem influence people or activities?

This tool helps you ask the right questions, expand your enquiry and obtain the right information, which in turn helps you find the best solutions. This method also allows you to guide your team members and to gather all the factual elements needed for a complete and objective understanding.

Question is....which tool or method do you use?