THE EFFECTIVE PROBLEMSOLVER #106
A couple years ago, I facilitated a coalition charged with allocating several million public dollars to expand training for manufacturing jobs.
The stakes were high.
Employers were desperate for skilled workers, community colleges wanted to scale programs, and labor leaders saw an opportunity to strengthen pathways into stable careers.
But here’s what surprised me.
Despite the size of the fund and the urgency of the problem, the group kept circling back to a relatively minor line item: a $15,000 marketing campaign.
It represented just a small fraction of the available dollars and, by almost everyone’s admission, wasn’t going to move the needle on actual training outcomes.
And yet, meeting after meeting, people brought it up.
They debated the slogans, the audience, even the medium: TV ads versus bus wraps.
Meanwhile, the tougher questions about how to design training programs that truly met employer demand and supported long-term career advancement remained underdeveloped.
Elevating the Trivial
This is what C. Northcote Parkinson described years ago as the Law of Triviality, more commonly called bikeshedding.
His famous example involved a committee charged with reviewing plans for a nuclear power plant.
The group avoided the intimidating technical decisions about the reactor but dove into long debates about the color of the employee bikeshed.
Everyone felt qualified to have an opinion on the bikeshed.
Almost no one felt equipped to talk about nuclear physics.
Why does this happen?
A few reasons tend to show up:
- Comfort over complexity. It’s easier to debate a marketing campaign than to wrestle with questions about which training models actually lead to family-sustaining jobs.
- Deflection. Some members may not want to confront choices that could affect their own organizations, budgets, or reputations.
- Visibility. Talking confidently about the simple stuff can be a way to grab airtime and influence, especially when the harder conversations are murky or contentious.
The costs of bikeshedding are real.
Time gets eaten up by minor debates.
Money gets misallocated to initiatives with little impact.
And most importantly, opportunities for better outcomes get lost.
In this case, the lost opportunity was to dig into the hard design questions:
Which partnerships with employers matter most? How do we balance short-term training slots with longer-term credential pathways? What supports are needed so more workers finish?
How to Focus on What Matters Most
So how do you catch bikeshedding when it starts—and redirect a group back to what matters?
Here are three practical ways:
1. Name the pattern without shaming anyone.
A facilitator or leader can say: “I’m noticing we’ve spent a lot of time on this part of the budget, even though we’ve said it has limited impact. Should we keep going, or shift to areas that affect outcomes more directly?” You’re holding up a mirror, not pointing a finger.
2. Recenter on the purpose.
Bring the conversation back to the mission: “How does this decision help more people succeed in manufacturing careers?” That simple question often cuts through the noise.
3. Tier the decisions.
Not every decision deserves full-group debate. Label some items as Tier 3 (small-dollar or low-impact) and propose handling them offline or in a subcommittee. Save collective time for Tier 1 decisions that really shape results.
One Last Thing: The Dynamic of Deference
And let me make this personal.
I’ve often sat in meetings that go way off track.
Even when someone calls out the dynamic—using exactly the techniques above—the group just kind of nods, thanks them, and then continues to muddle along.
A key reason is deference.
People want to respect what others feel the group wants, so we allow the round robin to continue.
It feels polite.
It feels safe.
But it keeps us from getting to the brass tacks of what actually matters.
So here’s what I’ve learned we all need to do:
1. Stay disciplined.
Don’t be the one who pulls the group off track with less consequential issues.
2. Speak up.
Respectfully, yes. But also directly.
3. And most important—back each other up.
When someone has the courage to say, “Hey, we’re drifting,” don’t leave them hanging. Quickly second them. Ideally, several people do this at once. Not to pile on, not to rehash why the meeting is off course. Just to exercise your discretion and move straight to the crux of the matter.
Come on!
We’ve got this.
We don’t need to sit through meetings that aren’t worth anyone’s time (and cost real opportunity).
You didn’t get into this work just to be polite.
You got into it to make a difference.
See you in two weeks.
-Bryan
