By Eddy Parham, Organizational Development Dude

Have you ever been stuck with a problem and missed the obvious solution, even when it was right in front of you? I know I sure have. At times I think that is why I've been blessed with a great wife. She always seems to be able to point out, in a polite way, what should be obvious to me. It can become so easy to get caught up in the moment that we miss the obvious which, reminds me of a story about two friends who decided to go backpacking.

Roy and Bubba met at the trailhead for what was going to be a great weekend trip. With packs loaded, they set off into the mountains. When they finally arrived at the spot where they were going to camp for the night both Roy and Bubba were exhausted. They had just hiked 20 miles through pretty rugged terrain. All they wanted to do was eat and then go to sleep. After dinner, they set their tent up and went to bed. Several hours later, Roy wakes up Bubba and says, "Bubba, look up at the sky and tell me what you see."

Bubba replies, "I see millions of stars."

"And, what does that tell you?" asked Roy.

Bubba thinks on the question for a minute and then says, "Astronomically speaking, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically speaking, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Time wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three in the morning. Theologically, it is evident that God is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day. What does it tell you?"

Roy is silent for a moment. Then he answers, "When I see all of those stars above us, realistically speaking, it means that someone has stolen our tent from over us!"

Most of you are in positions where at one time or another someone will be looking to you for answers to problems. Hopefully, that someone will have already considered several solutions and is looking to you for approval, but there are always times when you must be able to discern the obvious. Ponder these quotes

"I tell you Wellington is a bad general, the English are bad soldiers; we will settle the matter by lunch time."
- Napoleon Bonaparte at breakfast with his generals preceding the Battle of Waterloo (1815)

"I think there is a world market for about five computers."
- Thomas J. Watson, chairman of IBM (1943)

"I don't need bodyguards."
- Jimmy Hoffa, one month prior to his disappearance (1975)

Missing the obvious is an understatement for the three people whose quotes you just read. Being able to see the obvious is an indispensable quality for any leader who desires to maximize his or her effectiveness. In order to improve your ability to see the obvious consider these tips

• Be a Root Thinker - if you can discover the root of the issue, chances are very high that you'll be able to solve it effectively.

• Look at some problems that you solved successfully in the past. What enabled you to succeed in those instances? If you can capture the essence of those issues, you can repeat the process to solve future issues.

• Learn how others think. Which great leaders do you admire? Pick some and read their biographies. Look at how they saw the obvious answers when others could not.

Hopefully these tips will be of some help to you because my wife has a full time job keeping me focused on the obvious.