Seeing the solution and being blocked

[Poppy98]

There's a concept where I live that translates to "sub-optimization" (might work in English too).
The implication is that optimizing something at a smaller scale can have larger negative effects when the "big picture" is considered.
This manifests in other contexts as "the law of unintended consequences" as mentioned above.
That doesn't mean that bottom-up "continuous improvement" is a bad thing of course. It's just a guideline for assessing any specific change.

Like when the factory I worked in changed my station to a cleaving area at the front with the other three sides blocked off, but still expected me to do things in the middle and back of it while it was running...they'd eventually have had a labor shortage which would slow production.

Telling someone about a good idea that doesn't affect their responsibilities and activities is not likely to work well. The natural audience is operational-level people who will benefit directly, and their immediate management

So true.