A policeman sees a drunk man searching for something under a streetlight and asks what the drunk has lost. He says he lost his keys and they both look under the streetlight together. After a few minutes the policeman asks if he is sure he lost them here, and the drunk replies, no, and that he lost them in the park. The policeman asks why he is searching here, and the drunk replies, "this is where the light is".
This anecdote is known as the streetlight effect, or the drunkard’s search. It demonstrates our propensity to only look for things where they are easy to find.
Oftentimes, when we ask the leaders and organizations that we work with what they are looking to achieve and what is getting in the way, there is a litany of obstacles that come to mind.
- my staff/colleagues/partners/donors/ got it
- they understood
- we had the time
- we had good people
- the board would get out of my way
- the competition wasn’t undercutting the sector
- I was more aware of how I am showing up and its negative impact on the team
- we prioritized the right things
- focused on the process rather than the outcome
- we had crucial conversations with whomever that might be
- had the managerial courage to fire high performing toxic people
- we had a growth mindset as an organization
