Nine Whys: shared purpose
Start: begin immediately. Prepare: save your settings for reuse.
In pairs, discover the deeper shared purpose behind your collective effort. A Liberating Structure.
Activity
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Step-by-step instructions
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Steps
- Work in pairs (A and B).
- A interviews B: “why is this important to you?” — and keeps probing, up to nine times.
- Each answer leads to a deeper, shared purpose.
- Swap roles: now B interviews.
- Discuss together what deeper purpose you found.
Settings
- Shared theme — optional. If left empty, each pair works with their own topic.
- Time per round — optional, default 240 s (per direction).
- Auto-advance — optional: let the timer move on automatically.
Tip: a theme with AI
Out of ideas? Ask Microsoft Copilot: “Suggest a thought-provoking shared theme about [topic] to uncover a deeper purpose with '9 Whys' (for age [age]).” Put it in the Shared theme field.
Tips for the facilitator
This activity helps a group discover the deeper, shared purpose behind their work. By repeatedly asking "why is this important?", the conversation moves from practical, obvious answers toward what truly drives participants. Choose it at the start of a project or collaboration, when motivation has faded, when a team wants to reconnect with the meaning of its work, or before a choice where a shared purpose helps. It works best in a safe atmosphere: the question goes deep, and that calls for openness and attentive listening.
- 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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