Root Cause Analysis
Fix the disease, not just the symptoms.
Explanation
Every problem has symptoms (what you can see) and root causes (the underlying reason it's happening). Treating only the symptoms might provide temporary relief, but the problem will return. Root cause analysis digs deeper to find the fundamental issue that, when fixed, prevents the problem from recurring. Most people stop too early and only address surface-level symptoms.
Real-World Example
Customer complaints up 50%. Symptom: Long wait times. First cause: Not enough staff. Root cause: Poor forecasting system. Fix: Better demand prediction. Server crashes daily. Symptom: Out of memory. First cause: Memory leak. Root cause: No code review process. Fix: Mandatory reviews.
How to Apply
Use 5 Whys or Fishbone diagram. Focus on process, not people. Look for patterns across incidents. Fix system, not instance. Ask: Will this prevent recurrence or just fix this case? Document root causes—they often repeat. Remember: root cause is usually 2-3 levels deeper than you think.