Free one-page starter worksheet
Why Does This Keep Happening?
Pick one recurring practical problem. Capture a recent example, then choose one thing to check before deciding what to change.
Free download. No email, checkout or payment required.
1 page · US Letter · PDF · about 44 KB
Print-only and non-fillable. Print a copy and complete it by hand.
For ordinary, low-stakes practical problems. This is an educational starter, not counseling or professional advice.
Start with one recent moment
How to use the worksheet
Describe what happened.
Write what should have happened, what happened instead, and when and where. Use details you could observe.
Keep two explanations open.
List two conditions that might explain the difference. Treat them as hypotheses to check, not established causes.
Choose one useful check.
Decide what to observe or review, when you can do it, and what finding would make you reconsider your first explanation. Use only information you may access.
Return to what you found.
Record the finding and what is still uncertain. An unclear result can point to another check before you commit to a fix.
Use qualified help for relationship harm, health, legal, financial, safety or other high-stakes concerns. The worksheet does not establish a root cause or guarantee a result.
What is free, and what is a separate purchase?
This one-page starter is free. It helps you organize a first observation and check. It is not the paid Seven Practical Quality Tools, Lean Tools Practice Pack, Statistics Planning and Interpretation Worksheets, Educational Guide or RootCause Toolkit.
Practice a particular tool
Quality worksheets are $9, Lean worksheets are $12, and statistics planning worksheets are $7. The all-three bundle is $22.
Compare paid printable collections →Explore the full method
The Educational Guide is $49. The Complete RootCause Toolkit, including the guide, is $97.
See the guide and toolkit →You can also read the problem-solving guides or take the free five-question quiz.
Download details
- The download contains the single worksheet shown above. No paid PDFs are included.
- No email form, account or payment is required for this download.
- If your browser opens the PDF instead of saving it, use its download or print control.
- This is a digital file. No physical item is shipped.
See the existing Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and educational disclaimer.