I’m quite confident that Kaoru Ishikawa, a pioneer of quality management processes and father of the Ishikawa (“Fishbone”) diagram, must have had a toddler.

One of the premises behind this Six Sigma quality tool is that if you ask “WHY?” five times, you can better understand the cause/effect relationship underlying a particular problem.

Example:

Mom: “VIVIAN! I am disappointed in you!”

Vivian: “WHY?” (#1)

Mom: “Because you got into the cat food, mixed it with water, carried it upstairs, and dumped it all over the carpet!”

Vivina: “WHY?” (#2)

Mom: “Because you got into MISCHIEF!”

Vivian: “WHY?” (#3)

Mom: “Because you weren’t taking a nap like I asked you to.”

Vivan: “WHY?” (#4)

Mom: “Because, while I was taking a nap, you seized the opportunity to do things that you wouldn’t otherwise have been allowed to do.”

Vivian: “WHY?” (#5)

Mom: “Because you’re two.”

I may be the certified Six Sigma Quality Black Belt, but clearly Vivian is the one who has mastered the art of Ishikawa and, through brilliantly executed Five Why sessions, helps remind me that the crazy things she does sometimes are simply because she’s two.