To paraphrase Voltaire:

Common sense is not that common.

The idea that when faced with an issue we need to first pose the right question is a broadly accepted concept. The corollary to that is to then answer the question. Also a well understood concept. But the next step, develop a solution that addresses the answer, is too often a stumbling block. Sometimes it is easier to develop a solution to something related. Sometimes momentum makes the team build on an original solution. Whatever the reason, the work done in the question and answer phase is effectively discarded.

The Human Weak Link

An example is electronic passwords. The theory and application of electronic password systems is quite advanced. But the early systems developed and deployed failed to provide the security results expected. The answer was quickly identified: The weak link in security systems is human interaction. Then a massive failure occurred in attempting to rectify this issues. Instead of solving for root cause of the “human problem” the teams involved in providing solutions focussed on specific issues one by one.