当我们在生活中或者工作中遇到突然出现的问题时，我们有两种解决方法可供选择：基本方法和高级的“三为什么”方法。

基本方法

对于基本的方法，我们每个人都非常熟练了，那就是一旦认识到问题的严重性，就双手抱头，大呼“为什么，为什么，为什么？？？”，或者大声喊叫，表达受挫的感受。这种方法其实并不能起到什么实际的帮助作用。在许多时候，这样只会加深我们和我们周围人对失败的挫折感和无助感。即使在最好的情况下，这样也只是能够帮助我们发泄失望的情绪，避免这样的郁闷延续更长的时间。在这样的情况下，在发泄完挫败的情绪之后，我们需要有一段时间头脑冷静下来，然后让理智重新指导我们的思想，帮助我们找到解决问题，化解问题导致的危害的方法。

变通方法

在这个时候，如果我们足够冷静的话，我们便可以推进到“三为什么”方法的高级版本。这是全素质管理技巧中的一个变通方法。这种方法可以帮助我们利用问题，促进改善我们基本管理能力的基础和技能。这个方法被命名为“三为什么”方法，因为它要求我们至少问三个“为什么”。

你可以运用这种方法从微不足道、细枝末节的问题和重大严峻的问题中都受益匪浅。为了测试这种方法，你可以选择你最近遇到的一个问题，然后按照下列的步骤实施该方法。

问你自己：“这个问题为什么会发生？”（这就是第一个“为什么”）思考一下，写下１到３个问题发生的理由。例如，一个经理的一位战略客户出乎意料地退还了一大批已经装运的货物，这位经理写下来两个合理的原因，来解释这次出人意料的转折事件。

* 其中一件产品出现了不寻常的质量问题（客户指出的理由）
* 该客户向他的顾客的销售额降低，迫使他减少存货

下一个需要问的问题是：“为什么第一个回答中提到的事件会发生？”（这就是第二个“为什么”）针对前述问题的每一个回答，写下１到３个可能的理由。上文提到的那位经理派人去调查为什么会出现质量问题，于是发现是产品使用的原材料有缺陷。他又问自己为什么他的客户的销售额会降低，他想到的一个可能的回答是，他的客户对其竞争对手强势的销售活动的不作回应的策略。

现在需要问第三个“为什么”了：“为什么会出现第二个‘为什么’的答案？”这时，你同样需要针对每个回答写下１到３个合理的解释。我们例子中的这位经理发现，原材料质量控制规章中的一处疏忽导致了生产时使用有缺陷的原材料。另外，针对这位客户没有对他的竞争对手的攻势作出反应，他列出了下列理由：他的客户希望维持一个特定的价格和质量定位，他由于高成本而无法降低价格。

每个问题中都蕴涵着机遇

对你而言，如果你仍然无法给出带有实际价值的答案，那就一直问下去，直到你找到一个实际的结论，可以告诉你该如何改进。在上述例子中，这位经理对第三个“为什么”的答案的一部分比较满意，对另一部分则继续提问下去。

当他意识到，质量问题源于实现质量控制程序的过程中出现疏忽，他启动了一次彻底的组织程序，改善了公司该流程和其他流程的完成情况。同时，他和他的客户代表一道，重新检查了他向客户提供的全套产品，并且设计出一种特殊的产品组合，使他的客户可以在市场中占据绝对的竞争优势。在那以后，这种产品组合也在其他客户那里取得了成功。

通过积极地实施“三为什么”方法，我们的这位经理成功地将一次致命的问题转变成了一次完善自我的契机。他完善了组织程序、提高了顾客的满意度，还改善了产品组合。如果充分利用这种方法，它可以通过实际行动和结果向你证明，“每个问题中都蕴含着机遇”并不是一句陈词滥调。

The “why, why, why” Techniques for Solving Problems

When facing a problem that suddenly occurs in our life or work, we can choose between two techniques - the basic and the advanced “why, why, why” technique.

Basic Skills

We are all naturally skilled in the basic version, in which whenever we realize the size of a problem we grasp our head with both hands and cry out “why, why, why??” or any other cry that expresses our frustration.

This technique does not yield much practical benefit. In many cases it only worsens ours and our surroundings’ feelings of failure and helplessness. In the best scenario it will help us ventilate our frustration and avoid dragging it on for a longer period of time. In those instances, after giving vent to our frustration, there may come a time of peace of mind and with it reason will come back to guide our thoughts and help us find ways to deal with the problem or minimize its damages.

Advanced Techniques

At this stage, if we are sober enough, we should move on to the advanced version of the “why, why, why” technique. It is a variation on one of TQM’s techniques. It is designed to help us use problems as leverages for the improvement of our basic management infrastructure or skills. It is called “why, why, why” because it requires us to ask ‘why?’ at least three times.

Using this technique you can derive a lot of benefit from minor and unimportant problems as well as from major and frightening ones. To test it, choose one problem you recently ran into and act according to the following steps.

Ask yourself: “Why did this problem occur?” (That would be the first ‘why’.) Think and write down 1-3 possible reasons for the problem’s occurrence. For example, a manager whose strategic client surprisingly returned a large shipment of merchandise wrote down two reasonable explanations for the surprising turn of events:

* An unusual quality problem in one of the products (the reason mentioned by the client)
* A decline in the client’s sales to his costumers that forced him to reduce stocks

The next question should be: “Why did the things mentioned in the first answer occur?”（That would be the second ‘why’.）Write down 1-3 possible reasons for each of the answers to the previous question. The above mentioned manager sent his people to find out what caused the quality problem and identified its source in a flawed raw material that was used in part of the products. When he asked himself what might have caused the drop in his costumer’s sales, a possible explanation he came up with was the client’s non-reaction to his competitors’ aggressive sales campaigns.

Now is the time for the third ‘why’: “Why did the answers to the second ‘why’ occur?” Here too you should write down 1-3 reasonable explanations for each. The manager from our example found out that negligence in observing raw materials’ quality control regulations was the reason for the use of flawed material. In addition, as possible answers for the question why the client didn’t react to his competitors’ campaigns, he listed his client’s intention of maintaining a certain price and quality positioning, and his inability to lower his prices due to high costs.

Opportunity is everywhere

In your case, if you still haven’t reached answers that carry practical worth, keep on asking questions until you reach a practical conclusion that will show you the way to improvement. In the given example, the manager kept on asking questions about some of the third why’s answers, while being satisfied with others.

After he realized that the quality problem was caused by negligence in fulfilling quality control procedures he initiated a thorough organizational process that improved the fulfillment of these and other procedures in the company. At the same time, he reexamined, together with his clients’ representatives, the product-mix supplied to them, and designed a special product-mix that provided his customer with definite competitive advantages in his market. Since then, the new product-mix is being offered successfully to other clients as well.

By rigorously following the “why, why, why” technique our manager succeeded to use one crucial problem as an improvement tool. He has improved organizational processes, customer satisfaction, and product offerings.

This technique, when adequately used, will help you to demonstrate – through action and results - that the saying “within every problem lies an opportunity” is not merely a cliché.

来源：《主管研读》