To concentrate on the minutae not the real problem

[fotografics]

There's a word which means to concentrate on the small details of a problem rather than dealing with the main event. An example would be, in a battle, the general worries about the catering instead of organising the troop movements.
Can anyone help me with this word?

[harkatlisten]

government

[pamed9669]

prevaricate

[dundurn]

Anal? Pedantic?

[TopKat]

How about micro-manage?

[Bert]

I don't have a single word, but there is "displacement activity" and the expression "like re-arranging the deck-chairs on the Titanic".
You may be thinking of "procrastinate" - which means putting things off (to tomorrow, literally - 'cras' is Latin for 'tomorrow'), but that's not exactly about concentrating on the small stuff while ignoring the bigger picture.

[scotman]

nit-pick?

[FoxLee2]

Don't know where this came from but just -popped into my head - pettifogging

[bundleone]

fart-arsing about

[CatInTheHat]

I agree with Bert on 'rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic'. There's also 'fiddling while Rome burns' - said of Emperor Nero, with scant historical evidence, I believe.

[Amilcar]

You're 'missing the point' by 'not seeing the wood for the trees.' 'The devil is in the detail.'

[Amilcar]

Discern, discriminate