#346 Houdini

Several of these blogs have dealt with antics of my dogs, and today I will add to that.  On one of the beautiful evenings last week, I left the dogs out in the yard while I went to dinner.  I came home to find my 1-year old sitting in the neighbor's front yard!  I figured that her big sister bullied her (again) and pushed her under the fence (again).  So, I deployed my friend to buy stakes and secure the bottom of fence.  Life was good...

...for about one day, when I let the dogs out after work.  In the time it took me to change clothes, she was outside the fence again.  We checked, and there were no stakes disrupted.  And then, my friend saw her climb the fence and escape on her own.  I did not believe it.  Until, moments later with me standing right next to her, she did it again.  AHHH!

I think this can be a metaphor for how we often solve problems at work.  I was convinced that she was going under the fence.  I took all the precautions to remedy that situation, but it was the wrong problem.  I blamed someone for the problem who really had nothing to do with it.  When someone told me that I was wrong, I didn't believe them.  The evidence of what they were saying was so contrary to what I thought was true -- and even what I thought was possible -- that I denied it.  Until, of course, I saw it with my own eyes and had to confront the truth.  

The next time you have a dilemma, instead of jumping to conclusions and trying to solve it right away, try to ensure that you are fixing the right issue.  Your problem could be climbing the fence.

-- beth triplett