Business Strategy (May '11)

Many executives take a short sighted approach to problem solving because they focus on who made a mistake or created a problem instead of on what in the process broke down or went wrong. When you focus on people, they become defensive and protective. This creates an atmosphere of mistrust and fear and suboptimal results. When you focus on process, people open up to problem solving and creating solutions. They are not afraid to take responsibility and initiative, or make manageable mistakes. Both approaches require ultimate personal accountability, but you can get there cooperatively and more efficiently with a process oriented approach.