A couple of times I’ve reoriented meetings and discussion by stating something akin to “We’re getting away from the core of the issue here, let’s take a few steps back to ensure we’re evaluating this with the same objective facts in mind”

I’ve found that this is pretty effective at aligning the conversation with the actual issue at hand. And by listing the relevant objective facts, I make sure that everyone in the room has the same foundation as I. If anyone wants to play office politics and/or have an agenda beyond what’s in front of us, it’s harder for them to maneuver around the objectivity I try to stick to. It also ensures that any misunderstandings about the underlying facts can be cleared up or otherwise addressed