When you’d need it
A metric moved and every team has a different theory. A fishbone diagram lets the group list candidate causes without pretending the first explanation is the answer.
16:91 frame · fishbone
Case study
Why this artifact is built the way it is
Key decisions
- The effect statement is narrow: traffic decline, not general marketing performance.
- Categories match the domain, so causes are easier to assign and investigate.
- Each cause is short enough to become a follow-up investigation item.
When to copy vs. adapt
Use this for churn, defects, outages, backlog spikes, or campaign misses. Replace the cause categories with ones that fit your operating context.
Inside
What’s in this artifact
- 01Effect statement
- 02Cause categories
- 03Candidate causes
- 04Investigation map
Remix
Start with a variant
Same structure, your scenario — pick a starting prompt.
FAQ
Fishbone questions
What is a fishbone diagram example?
It is a root-cause map that places one effect at the head and groups possible causes by category.
When should I use a fishbone diagram?
Use it when you need to explore possible causes before choosing a fix, especially with cross-functional teams.
Can Toft change the categories?
Yes. Ask for product, process, people, data, pricing, market, or any categories that fit the problem.
Make your own
Tools that build this.
Make your own fishbone.
Describe what you need. Toft returns the finished, editable artifact.