When to use this combo
You have a recurring problem and previous fixes didn't stick. You need to go deeper than symptoms — understanding the true root cause, the system constraint that allows it, and the hidden assumptions that keep it alive.
Is this combo right for you?
Use this combo if you're a persistent investigator who doesn't accept "that's just how things are." You're the person who keeps asking "But why?" when everyone else has stopped. If you believe most problems persist because people stopped digging one level too early, this approach is tailor-made for you.
Step-by-step walkthrough
Apply the Five Whys — start with the problem and ask "Why?" at least five times, each time digging one layer deeper. Don't stop at the first plausible answer.
Use Theory of Constraints to identify the system's bottleneck — the single constraint that limits the entire system's performance. Fix the constraint, and the whole system improves.
Map your Assumptions — what beliefs are you (and the team) holding that allow this problem to persist? Which assumptions are untested? Challenge each one explicitly.