In the book, Switch, Chip and Dan Heath introduce the concept of looking for positive deviants in problem solving. When we take on a system that is broken, we have a tendency to focus solely on the problems and try to fix them. The end result is that the issues are usually so big and overwhelming that little to no progress is made.
Instead of focusing on just the problems, what if we looked for the bright spots? These are not usually huge successes, but tiny movements of hope that we can begin to multiply.
That one leader whose group continues to grow.
That one coach who is still taking care of her leaders.
That mom’s group that has continued to thrive even with leadership changes.
What can we learn from those leaders and groups and begin to multiply across our system? Sometimes you don’t have to completely destroy a system or organization to fix it. You just need to look for the bright spots.
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