It rains a lot in the Pacific Northwest in the winter. Which means, the water needs somewhere to go. One of the trails has been worn down through the weight of horses, people and bikes such that there is no place for the water to run off. It just pools, creating one of the muddiest spots in the series of trails. So, people veer off the path to avoid the mud, creating a bigger muddy area.
These situations arise at work too. People see a mess and try to get around it. What they don’t realize is, by avoiding the mess, they create another mess because that space wasn’t meant to be used in that manner. It’s worth thinking about design in business to make sure messy spots are removed rather than being left to create other problems.