Getting to the Root Cause: A Simple Way to Uncover What’s Really Going On

When school teams face persistent challenges, it is easy to jump straight into solutions. But without a clear understanding of what is driving the problem, even well-intentioned efforts can end up treating symptoms instead of addressing the root cause. The interrelationship digraph is one protocol that supports deeper analysis by helping teams see how different contributing factors influence one another.

OBJECTIVES

Shift mindsets from reacting to symptoms to designing solutions that matter
Create pathways for teams to move from complexity to clarity
Help teams identify high-leverage causes that lead to meaningful change

RESOURCES

Diagraph Workbook Template Download

Digraph Facillitation 101 Download

This approach comes from the continuous improvement workshops I have attended in partnership with the Carnegie Foundations and High Tech High Graduate School of Education. It offers a structured way to unpack complexity and prioritize where to focus efforts.

Take chronic absenteeism. We often brainstorm a long list of possible causes: transportation barriers, health issues, family responsibilities, or student disengagement. But how do we know where to begin? The interrelationship digraph helps surface not just what is happening, but which causes are influencing the others most. And that is where the work should start.

How the Protocol Works

Name the problem clearly

Start with a specific, measurable problem statement that is within your sphere of influence and avoid language that blames students or families. For example: “Only 68% of students with more than 10 absences report feeling like they belong at school.”

Brainstorm the possible causes

Ask your team: “Why is this happening?” Aim for five to eight causes. List them around a circle, like numbers on a clock, so you can later map relationships among them.

Explore the relationships

For each pair of causes, ask whether one contributes to the other. If so, draw an arrow from the cause to the effect. If it seems mutual pick the stronger direction and avoid double arrows.

Identify the root

Once you have drawn arrows between all causes, count them. The causes with the most arrows going out are likely the most influential. Those with the most arrows going in tend to be symptoms. Addressing the former is more likely to shift the system in a lasting way.

Using What You Learn

The digraph does not give you a final answer. It gives you a place to focus. Once you’ve identified a likely root cause, dig deeper. Talk with students. Use empathy interviews. Revisit your data. Validate your assumptions.

This protocol can be used with more than just staff. Students, families, and community partners bring valuable insight and may surface causes your team had not considered.

Check out this toolkit on empathy interviews

Conduct Empathy Interviews: Elevate Student Voices, So You Can Understand and Support Them

Why This Matters

Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful.

-Margaret J. Wheatley

The interrelationship digraph is especially helpful when:

You need help prioritizing after identifying multiple possible causes
Your team keeps circling the same problem without making progress
You want to understand what is driving a challenge, not just respond to its symptoms

This approach helps teams move from conversation to clarity. It is not just about doing more work; it is about getting busy on the right stuff. When we focus on the most influential causes, we are more likely to design changes that matter.

Getting Started

You can try this protocol during upcoming team meetings, leadership retreats, or professional learning sessions focused on continuous improvement. The Digraph Workbook Template and Facilitation 101 slides provide step-by-step guidance and examples you can tailor to your context.

This process does not have to be perfect to be powerful. The value lies in the conversations it sparks and the clarity it can bring to complex challenges.

Let’s stop treating symptoms and start focusing on what is really driving the challenges our schools face.