During a recent root cause problem solving workshop I was running I had three people who were fixated on 'the answer'.
This fixation was causing friction with other departments and it was clear from speaking to them that they didn't have all the answers.
It took about an hour to explore other avenues of enquiry, and ultimately to review their stance on their respective problems.
At the end of the hour their viewpoints had changed. Not because I had proven them wrong, but because we took a few minutes to explore other perspectives about the same problem. They now saw their problem differently, along with the approach they needed to take.
This situation of course happens to us all from time to time. We can't 'see the woods for the trees' so to speak.
Are you too focused on your problems at this point in time, or is it time to have a break and another look around?
Giles Johnston
Author of 'Business Process Re-Engineering', a practical plan to improve business performance.