There’s a great scene in Shrek where Shrek and Donkey are talking about the different layers people have, and how sometimes, what’s on the surface isn’t the same thing as what’s underneath.  Shrek tells Donkey that Ogres are like onions…they have layers.  Donkey provides an alternate analogy…parfaits.  Because people like parfaits.  And not everyone likes onions.

There’s an interesting lesson in that dialog.  It’s one of perspective.  And casting things in a positive and palatable light rather than an odiferous and offensive one.

How do you cast root cause analysis?  Do you view it through the lens of the odiferous and pungent experience of “peeling back the onion?”  I realize that “peeling back the onion” is a common expression in business.  But what imagery and experiences does that languaging conjure up for you…and for your team?  When was the last time you enjoyed peeling an onion?  I’ll wager that aligns pretty well with your prior experiences of root cause analysis as well.

But what if it didn’t have to be that way?  What if root cause analysis could be…dare I say it…enjoyable?  Like eating a delicious parfait?

It’s all a matter of perspective.

Do you view getting to the root of the problem as an arduous, odiferous, pungent experience?  One to be avoided?  Or do you view it as an adventure in flavor combinations yet unexplored by humankind? 

One of those perspectives sets you and your team up for drudgery.  The other sets you and your team up for fun.

What’s something you tend to view as an onion that you’d like to see as a parfait?