SP-QUESTIONS (0): Analysis Model
Upgrade your thinking with SP-QUESTIONS: Move beyond 5W2H's simple "Why" to analyze cause, purpose, and consequences separately for a complete, 9-question framework.
Have you ever found yourself overwhelmed by a complex situation, unsure where to begin analyzing it, or worse, made an important decision only to realize afterward that you had overlooked a crucial aspect? In a world where information abounds and problems are increasingly interconnected, having a reliable intellectual compass is no longer a luxury—it's a necessity.
The 5W2H (Who? What? Where? When? How? How much? Why?), this ancient method rooted in Roman rhetoric, has helped generations of analysts, journalists, and managers structure their thinking. Today, faced with contemporary challenges, we propose an enriched version: SP-QUESTIONS. This augmented method pushes the logic further, offering an even finer and more powerful analytical framework. In this first article, we will explore the foundations of this approach, its promises, and how it can transform the way you approach problems. More advanced uses and practical applications will be covered in dedicated articles.
Brief History
The history of 5W2H begins nearly two thousand years ago. Quintilian, the famous Roman rhetorician from the 1st century AD, taught his students the art of persuasion and argumentation. To analyze a fact or construct a convincing speech, he recommended systematically asking a series of questions about "circumstances": Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? By what means? This approach, known as the "circumstances of Quintilian," has traveled through the centuries.
In the 20th century, the world of journalism rediscovered and popularized this method under the name of the "5 Ws" (Who, What, Where, When, Why) , considered the essential questions for any article to meet all reader expectations. Gradually, the world of management and project management adopted this tool, often adding two complementary questions: "How?" and "How much?", giving birth to the 5W2H we know today.
This classic version, with its seven questions, is already remarkably effective. It structures analysis, ensures a certain exhaustiveness, and forces objectivity. Generations of project managers, consultants, and managers have used it to frame missions, diagnose problems, or present reports. But the world has changed. Problems have become more systemic, interactions more complex, and the consequences of incomplete analysis more costly. It is from this observation that the idea of an augmented version was born.
