Nine Whys: shared purpose
In pairs, discover the deeper shared purpose behind your collective effort. A Liberating Structure.
Time
10–15 min
Form
In pairs
Phase
Deepen
Materials
Not needed
Step-by-step instructions
4 steps · 10–15 min
- Work in pairs
Decide who is A and who is B. Give a shared theme, or let every pair take their own work. - A asks, B talks
A asks nine times “why is this important to you?”. Always ask on about the PREVIOUS answer, not about the theme again — that is where the whole structure lives. - Swap: B asks, A talks
Same question, other side. A starts at the beginning, not from B's answer. - Share with the group
One sentence per pair: which deeper purpose surfaced? What you hear back from more than one pair is the shared part.
Worth knowing
Every "why" is its own step with its own clock, so the class can see which question it is on — and so a pair does not settle for the second answer. Nine is the name of the structure; in a short lesson seven works too.
Around the third or fourth why it usually gets uncomfortable. That is exactly where it gets interesting, so do not step in there.
A's role is one thing, nine times: asking. Not helping, not summarising, not agreeing. Say that out loud before you start — it saves half the conversations that would otherwise stall.
Tips for the facilitator
Asking through to what really drives
The asker listens and does not steer
Start of a project or collaboration
A shared purpose surfaces
- A shared theme (optional) — set this in the settings, or leave it empty so each pair chooses their own work. E.g. "our joint project" or "why we teach this subject".
- Time per direction (A→B and B→A) — set this in the settings (default 240 seconds per direction).
- Pairs in which both participants get a turn: A asks B first, then you switch roles.
- The agreement that whoever asks only listens and keeps repeating "why is this important?" — without judging, adding, or steering.
- More or less time: more room for depth, or shorter as a warm-up.
- Shared closing: collect the purposes that surfaced and look for the common thread together.
- Without a shared theme: each pair takes their own work — suited to a mixed group.
- As decision prep: run this before a choice, so the group decides from a shared purpose.
- Team / department: why we do this work — at the start of a school year or project.
- Mentoring / reflection: why a goal or choice matters to a student.
- Career orientation: why a student is drawn to a direction or study.
- Citizenship / social studies: why a value or social theme matters.
- Philosophy / worldview: exploring what gives someone meaning.
This activity is one of the Liberating Structures by Keith McCandless and Henri Lipmanowicz ("Nine Whys"). Unlike the "five whys", it does not seek the cause of a problem but the deeper, shared purpose behind what a group does. It develops self-insight, meaningful conversation, and shared motivation.
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