Root Cause Tip: Do Definitions Matter?

Socrates and Definitions

Socrates, the famous Greek philosopher, was taking a walk when he met a young, impressionable man named Phaedrus.  Phaedrus explained that he had just heard the greatest speech of all time.  He explained that the famous orator, Lysias, had just given a talk about love.  Lysias had convinced Phaedrus, by his oratorical ability, that casual love was superior to committed love.  Socrates thought for a minute and then asked Phaedrus:

What does Lysias mean by love?

Phaedrus couldn’t answer.  Why?  Lysias never defined the central theme of his talk.  Socrates had thus pointed out a common speaker’s trick.  If a speaker doesn’t supply a definition, the audience will.  And if the audience likes the speaker, they will supply definitions that make the speech mean whatever they want to hear.  Many “listeners” never examine the meaning of statements. They assume definitions that make the speech agree with their thinking.

What Does This Have to Do With Root Cause Analysis?

First, investigators must closely examine the verbal information witnesses give them.  They should not insert their beliefs into the witness statements to make the statements be what they want to hear.

Second, investigators should be able to accurately define the root causes they identify (or those identified by others).  In the TapRooT® System, there is no excuse for loose definitions.  The TapRooT® System defines every root cause in the Root Cause Tree® Dictionary. Students get this dictionary and learn how to use it with the TapRooT® Root Cause Tree® Diagram with every TapRooT® RCA Course.

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