When the Legs Fall Off: Why Instructions Matter In Root Cause Analysis
I recently put together a record player cabinet, and I skipped the instructions. I mean, I looked at them… briefly. But I figured I’d built enough furniture over the years to wing it. The pieces seemed obvious. The legs screwed in. Everything stood upright. Success.
Until it wasn’t.
A short time later, the legs collapsed. Not all at once. Just enough to remind me that something fundamental had been missed. The cabinet didn’t fail because the parts were bad. It failed because the process was.
That experience has stuck with me because I see the same thing happen in investigations.
The TapRooT® Root Cause Tree® Without The Dictionary
Teams often say they are “using the TapRooT® Root Cause Tree®.” What they really mean is they are using the picture.
They scan the branches, land on a root cause that feels right, and move on. Sometimes it even looks solid at first. The investigation stands up long enough to pass a review meeting.
Then later, the legs fall off.
Why?
Because the TapRooT® Root Cause Tree® is designed to be used with the TapRooT® Root Cause Tree® Dictionary. The Dictionary is not optional background reading. It is the instructions.
Without it, teams:
- Select categories based on intuition rather than definitions
- Skip decision logic embedded in the questions
- End up with conclusions that cannot be defended when challenged
The structure may look complete, but it is not stable.
Instructions Are What Makes The System Work
The Dictionary does not exist to slow investigators down. It exists to:
- Clarify what each root cause does and does not mean
- Force alignment between evidence and selection
- Prevent overgeneralization
- Keep teams from building explanations that feel good but do not hold up
Just like furniture instructions, the value is not obvious until something fails.
By the time the legs fall off, the real cost shows up. Rework, loss of confidence, and missed learning. Corrective actions that do not actually address what happened.
A Simple Check For Your Investigation
If you want to know whether your TapRooT® Root Cause Tree® work is stable, ask this:
When I check my root causes against the Dictionary questions, do I reach the same conclusion?
If the answer is no, the investigation is standing on loose screws.
Skipping instructions feels efficient and experienced. It feels like progress.
Until the structure collapses.
The TapRooT® Root Cause Tree® works the way it was designed to work when the TapRooT® Root Cause Tree® Dictionary is treated as part of the tool, not an optional technique. That is how you keep the legs under your TapRooT® Investigation.
When the process is sound, the structure holds. If your investigations rely too heavily on intuition or experience alone, it’s time to rebuild the foundation correctly.
The 2-Day TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis Course is designed to help you slow down, use the Dictionary as intended, and build investigations that can withstand challenge. Join us for a course and learn how to build investigations that stand up to scrutiny, support meaningful corrective actions, and hold together long after the review meeting ends.
