9 Whys
Uncover the deeper purpose behind your work by asking "why" again and again in pairs, then making sense of it together. Adapted from Liberating Structures (https://www.liberatingstructures.com/nine-whys), licensed CC BY-NC 3.0.
3 parts · 5 phases
Pair up. Each person takes a turn being asked "why".
- Ask "why" up to nine times
speaker: Answer "Why is the work you do important?" Then answer each follow-up "why", going a little deeper each time — up to nine times.
listener: Keep asking "Why is that important to you?" — up to nine times. Don't advise or reflect; just keep asking why.
Two pairs join into a foursome, keeping your original partner with you.
- What deeper purpose surfaced?
Share what came up. Notice the fundamental purposes that connect the work across your group.
- Name the deeper purpose
Each group shares the deeper purpose they uncovered. As a whole group, notice what you hold in common.