Why Things Happen: Cause, Effect and Systems Thinking

Find out why things really happen, at work and in life. Tell a cause from a coincidence, test a cause fairly, dig past symptoms to root causes, solve problems like a detective, see the feedback loops in a system, and ask 'and then what?' before you act. Every module is practice with everyday cases: shops, freelance work, study, phones and family plans.

Difficulty: Medium
Duration: ~19 hours
Price: Free

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Explore the syllabus

Course curriculum

8 modules · 94 lessons. Open a module to see its lesson list.

01Why things happen10 lessonsView lessonsHide lessons

01.01Set the scene20 min
01.01Set the scene20 min
01.02Chains of cause and effect25 min
01.02Chains of cause and effect25 min
01.03The single-cause trap25 min
01.03The single-cause trap25 min

What you'll build

Investigate one real problem, or a provided case, from start to finish: describe it exactly, map its possible causes, find a root cause with evidence, plan a fair test of your fix, and predict its side effects. Then walk a mentor through it in five minutes.

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01.04After is not because

25 min

01.04After is not because25 min

01.05Checklist and learning log25 min

02Correlation, cause and hidden factors12 lessonsView lessonsHide lessons

02.01Set the scene20 min
02.01Set the scene20 min
02.02Hidden third factors25 min
02.02Hidden third factors25 min
02.03Reverse cause, chance and the drift back to normal30 min
02.03Reverse cause, chance and the drift back to normal30 min
02.04Survivors and selection25 min
02.04Survivors and selection25 min
02.05Correlation and cause10 min
02.05Correlation and cause10 min
02.06Checklist and learning log25 min
02.06Checklist and learning log25 min

03Testing a cause fairly12 lessonsView lessonsHide lessons

03.01Set the scene20 min
03.01Set the scene20 min
03.02Change one thing at a time25 min
03.02Change one thing at a time25 min
03.03Compare with a group that did not change25 min
03.03Compare with a group that did not change25 min
03.04Small experiments25 min
03.04Small experiments25 min
03.05Testing a cause10 min
03.05Testing a cause10 min
03.06Checklist and learning log25 min
03.06Checklist and learning log25 min

04Finding root causes14 lessonsView lessonsHide lessons

04.01Set the scene20 min
04.01Set the scene20 min
04.02Symptoms and root causes25 min
04.02Symptoms and root causes25 min
04.03The five whys25 min
04.03The five whys25 min
04.04Fishbone diagrams25 min
04.04Fishbone diagrams25 min
04.05Causes, not culprits, and strong fixes25 min
04.05Causes, not culprits, and strong fixes25 min
04.06Root causes10 min
04.06Root causes10 min
04.07Checklist and learning log25 min
04.07Checklist and learning log25 min

05Solve it like a detective12 lessonsView lessonsHide lessons

05.01Set the scene20 min
05.01Set the scene20 min
05.02Describe the problem exactly25 min
05.02Describe the problem exactly25 min
05.03Guess, test, repeat25 min
05.03Guess, test, repeat25 min
05.04Split the problem in half25 min
05.04Split the problem in half25 min
05.05Problem solving10 min
05.05Problem solving10 min
05.06Checklist and learning log25 min
05.06Checklist and learning log25 min

06Systems and feedback loops12 lessonsView lessonsHide lessons

06.01Set the scene20 min
06.01Set the scene20 min
06.02Loops where more leads to more25 min
06.02Loops where more leads to more25 min
06.03Loops that pull back, delays and stocks30 min
06.03Loops that pull back, delays and stocks30 min
06.04Bottlenecks25 min
06.04Bottlenecks25 min
06.05Systems and feedback loops10 min
06.05Systems and feedback loops10 min
06.06Checklist and learning log25 min
06.06Checklist and learning log25 min

07Consequences: and then what?12 lessonsView lessonsHide lessons

07.01Set the scene20 min
07.01Set the scene20 min
07.02And then what?25 min
07.02And then what?25 min
07.03Incentives and targets25 min
07.03Incentives and targets25 min
07.04Side effects25 min
07.04Side effects25 min
07.05Consequences10 min
07.05Consequences10 min
07.06Checklist and learning log25 min
07.06Checklist and learning log25 min

08Learning from what went wrong, and capstone10 lessonsView lessonsHide lessons

08.01Set the scene20 min
08.01Set the scene20 min
08.02Reviews without blame25 min
08.02Reviews without blame25 min
08.03Mixed review: which habit first?15 min
08.03Mixed review: which habit first?15 min
08.04Capstone: investigate a problem110 min
08.04Capstone: investigate a problem110 min
08.05Course checklist and your cause-and-effect toolkit25 min
08.05Course checklist and your cause-and-effect toolkit25 min