While playing her role as Maria Kutschera in The Sound of Music, Julie Andrews once sang about her favorite things, among which were geese flying with the moon on their wings, doorbells, and brown paper packages. Remembering these things was how Maria would distract herself when times were bad, a useful technique to deploy when being chased by Nazis across Austria with children in tow.

However, when things aren’t going to plan at work, it’s not kitten whiskers for me; it’s cause and effect diagrams and 5 Whys. You’d think that, with all their talent, Rogers and Hammerstein could have worked those into their tune. (And if you can fit quality tools and techniques into “My Favorite Things,” by all means share your lyrics below; 100 Quality Kudos points for the best submission.)

I don’t really remember the first time I applied or was involved in using these two tools. However, the power of each is the reason I still use them today.

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