# Create a fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram of possible causes

Sorts every possible cause of a problem into a fishbone diagram, ranks the likely ones, and tells you how to check each.

- Topic: Thinking & Decisions
- Framework: RTF
- Level: Advanced
- Tags: Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/create-a-fishbone-ishikawa-diagram-of-possible-causes

## Prompt

```text
Help me build a fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram for a problem.

**Problem (the head of the fish):** [WHAT IS GOING WRONG, measurable if possible - e.g. "30% of new hires leave within 90 days"]
**Where it happens:** [team, process, office, product, customer type]
**Data, notes, or complaints I have:** [PASTE]
**Causes the team already suspects:** [LIST]

Steps:
1. Choose the cause categories that fit my problem. Start from People, Process/Methods, Tools/Technology, Materials/Inputs, Measurement, and Environment (or the 4 Ps for service work: Policies, Procedures, People, Place), and rename or swap categories so they fit.
2. Under each category, list 3-6 specific possible causes, with sub-causes where useful. Include causes the team hasn't mentioned.
3. Mark each cause: supported by my data, suggested by someone, or speculative.
4. Pick the 3-5 most likely causes and explain why.

Return:
1. The fishbone as a text diagram or indented list (Problem > Category > Cause > Sub-cause).
2. A Mermaid flowchart (graph LR, with the problem on the right and one branch per category) I can paste into a tool that renders Mermaid, then copy into slides.
3. A table for the top causes: Cause | Category | Evidence so far | How to verify (data to pull or person to ask) | Effort to verify.
4. What to do next: which causes to verify first, and a quick test for each.

Rules: list causes, not solutions. Don't present any cause as confirmed unless my data shows it. Keep wording neutral and free of blame toward individuals.
```

## What to fill in

- team, process, office, product, customer type
- PASTE
- LIST

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