The visible problem is often several decisions downstream from the real one.

What shows up as trouble is usually the last link in a chain, not the first. The missed deadline sits several steps down from the unclear brief, which sits below the meeting nobody wanted to have. Because the visible piece is the one causing pain right now, it absorbs all the attention and effort, while the origin stays comfortable and untouched.

When something goes wrong, walk backward three steps before you act. Ask what had to be true for this to happen, then what had to be true for that. The place where the questions stop being obvious is usually where the work is.