Which floor do you stay?

On a weekend get together at my friend’s place; just a few yards away from mine, there was this discussion on the frustrating jams on the exit road to the main highway .  The situation was worse due to a dug up road for repairs over the past week.  Our township has only one major exit road and the other side is a chain of seemingly impregnable mountains. 

While sipping our drinks, we agreed on the main cause of congestion. It was due to the traffic passing through only one exit road for all, even for those who would travel to the other side of the mountains.  As we were discussing options, my friend, who is a CFO in an MNC, suggested a very simple and cost effective solution. Just a 500 meters bridge across a rivulet to other side of the hill was needed a few meters into the mountain pass.

I was astounded at his suggestion as I felt it was not possible due to the unending chain of hills. Just  as I was pondering, he slid the curtains of his 21st floor apartment to allow a scenic view of the overlooking hills. Pointing to the hills he showed me a noticeable hill pass and then leading me to a view of a tiny rivulet punctuating the hills, as if to prove his point.

I had never seen this picture for the last seven years while having my early morning tea from my 5th floor window gazing at the same hill, in the same township. I was amazingly oblivious of this possibility.

This interesting conversation led me to think of the corporate world,  where sometimes decisions that may sound erroneous to us may be made looking at the big picture, best seen from a distance, which some can see, unlike many others who are too close to the issue.

The difference often may lay in their view of the picture vs ours?