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All communication, problem solving, and conflict situations in the workplace can be attributed to three reasons:

• Technical: This is a real problem, that everyone can agree to. Shortage of resources, lack of funds, lack of expertise, the absence of a capability, or a breakdown in the tools used to perform work. Time, money, and education will usually fix this type of problem.
• Political: Symptoms are turf wars, and defending prior decisions that are clearly indefensible. When co-workers are more careful about their ego than their problem, the alarm bells should go off in your head.
• Emotional: This may be completely non-judgmental when it is cultural. Meaning, if you don’t follow protocol when making a request, co-workers will get upset. Or it might be judgmental, accompanied by bad behavior, sarcasm, snarky comments and the like. This may be just poor etiquette and manners or it may just be a symptom of “political.”

Usually, the problem is a mix of the three, so you have be cautious about being blindsided by any of them. Once you settle on the root cause, double check for the other two as well.