It is interesting how hard people work at solving a problem. Some say that people really don't work all that hard. I actually believe people worked very hard indeed. Just because somebody's working hard doesn't necessarily mean they are working on the right thing.

I have an example to discuss. I would like you to imagine a very emotional meeting. It took place in a family company.

The business was a relatively small one distributing air compressor parts to a wide variety of customers. They rented their warehouse from a third-party. The heated discussion was all about building a brand-new custom building or continuing to rent. In addition to the question of renting or buying they had to decide how the property would be owned and by whom.

Should they create a new company to own the property?

Who would the owners be?

Could they use the current company to own the property?

I am sure there were many more questions. I just don't know what they were.

The family members were on all sides of this question. One supported the idea totally. Two members did not want to discuss it at all. Another was quietly steaming and worrying about the family taking on a new mortgage.

The family member who managed the business was the one that brought the idea forward. In addition, two outside advisers were present. An attorney who was there to talk about legal issues. And, the company's account and was present to talk about financial issues.

With all these different viewpoints everything blew up. The advisers realized their time is being wasted. Everyone in the meeting did focus on the question of renting or building a new building. However, whether or not the question should be discussed had never been decided.

Perhaps you've seen a meeting like this. Maybe you've actually attended one. And, maybe you were the one that chaired a meeting like this. But, what's being discussed in this meeting is not the point. We are concerned with the overall context.

What I'd like you to think about is that this point. Is this the most important thing this group should be discussing at this time?

Chunk up or drill down?

"Drilling down" is an idea that you're probably familiar with and have utilized yourself. When we drill down we are dealing with the layers and looking under the surface. it's a natural reaction when we see a problem staring us in the face. But, that might not be the right thing to do. In fact it could be the absolutely worst thing we could do.

I have invented the term, "Chunk Up". The term means to get higher or above an issue. A higher vantage point typically give you the opportunity to see things from a broader perspective. It enables us to see how this particular problem fits in to the overall strategy.

In this illustration, that's exactly what really should be done.

The family in this illustration doesn't really know what their overall strategy is. Their first step is to step back and reach and mutual understanding about their overall strategic direction. They didn't even need to spend any time on this building question. The question of renting or buying is a tactical decision. Once they decide strategy they can focus on tactics like renting or buying. in addition, being a real estate owner is time-consuming and could distract from their core business. It may not even matter what the economics are.

As we've already said it's natural for people to drill down. When you're working on a problem you made focus so hard you don't even see the real issue.

Step one is to mutually determined what the problem or issue to be discussed is. A lot of time and energy and treasure can be spent working on an problem or opportunity that is really not a vital one.

So in summary, prior to jumping in individually, or anticipating a with a group that's jumping in, make certain you step back and take a broader view of the overall environment. Address the problem, opportunity or issue if, and only if, it fits the big picture. Things that don't fit the big picture typically can be just ignored.