4W + 2H

The modern world, the modern workspace included of course, is rich with data and the sharing of this data is becoming more important than ever. One of the main reasons behind this need is that the current world order, products, and organizations are very complex¹, which means that data from multiple sources, usually cross-functional and multi-disciplinary, is required for any one person to be considered knowledgeable about the topic under consideration.

In this world, we participate in this transfer of data either as recipients or as senders. In both cases, the way the data is formatted and communicated is critical, because this can determine the level of information we can extract out of it².

During a time when my team and I were receiving several hundreds of emails per day each, many of them for escalation purposes, I decided to create a structure for the data that is communicated. The goal was to help streamline the information extraction and minimize the amount of data that the recipients had to analyze.

Hence, I came up with the structure of 4W + 2H (note: I did not know at that time that this methodology already existed in the circles of journalism and other scientific & engineering circles… then again, I am not a journalist).

The 4W + 2H stands for: What, Why, Who, When, How, How Much. This is what my team used for a long time.

The Benefits

This approach helped in the following ways:

• •For Recipients: They had to ingest several requests in that form, hence the common format allowed them to easily compare the requests.
• •For Senders: They had to adhere to constraints, which in turn helped them understand the topic better and also simplify it for others to quickly digest.
• •For the Team: We had the ability to catalogue the requests, as they all followed the same format.

Expanding on the 4W + 2H

Below I am expanding on the specific components of the framework.

• •What (The Subject) Every email or request is important to include the "what" or "the subject" under discussion. The "what" is usually the problem that someone faces and wants to discuss. Essentially, this is the primary reason for initiating the communication between the sender and the recipient. If the "what" is the communication of a challenge, then, ideally, they will include the mitigation plan in the "what".

• •Why (The Justification) The "why" or "the justification" is usually the challenge the sender faces as the reason behind the "what". It is the blocker or risk the sender needs help with. The "why" can many times be difficult to understand, because the sender might struggle to distinguish between the root cause of the "what" and the reason they send the request in the first place (note: usually the "what").

• •Who (The Owner) The "who" or "the owner" is the person or team who is identified to help with the recovery from the "what". This person/team may be the original owner or someone different. In the communication, the "who" should be identified in order to initiate the chain of the necessary discussions.

• •When (The Timeline) Most senders forget to complete the "when" or "the timeline" about the task that needs to be completed. People who receive such requests are usually managers or tech leads who are to some extent responsible for making sure the team is able to meet the agreed-upon milestones.

• •How (The Method) The "how" or "the method" is the way the "owner" has determined to (or should) use to recover from the "what". The "how", depending on who the recipient is, is frequently a topic for extensive discussion, because the definition of "how" will have an impact on the outcome in terms of quality, performance, cost, and readiness.

• •How Much (The Cost) The "how much" or "the cost" indicates the cost the team has to pay to recover from the "what". Even though this is usually a monetary figure, sometimes it might indicate other things such as number of additional people required, range of equipment, number of tools, etc.

As one can see the list of 4W + 2H is not exhaustive and the differences between the different items can be nuanced depending on the situation. At the same time, the 4W + 2H is scalable and expandable based on the needs of the person or team using it.

The "Why Provide a Solution?" Question

Finally, I want to try and answer the question that the sender may have:

"If I am seeking help, why should I provide a solution? If I knew the solution, I would not ask for help in the first place!"

This is a valid question with an equally valid (in my opinion, of course!) response:

• •Empathy: If the recipient receives multiple such requests per day, then it gets very tiring and, often, problematic to be fed continuously with problems. Keep in mind we are often in the "people business" and not in any other business you may consider yourselves in, so do try and get in other people's shoes.

• •Constraints: It is highly likely that the recipients do not have (1) enough time and/or (2) enough knowledge/expertise to provide a useful solution. This means that they will get back to you with questions that, most likely, attempt to get an answer leading to the 4W + 2H.

• •Initiative: Proposing a solution along with the problem shows that you have already considered the available options and you are seeking some sort of approval or feedback. This behavior demonstrates proactiveness and taking initiative, which are critical.

• •Trust: If you are simply seeking approval, providing the whole 4W + 2H can help improve awareness for the recipient, which will help them trust you even more along the way.