House Rules
another small, simple book by
Dr. Greg O. Muller
- I am grateful to Jerry Sternin, the "father of applied Positive Deviance", who developed an eight-step process for identifying Positive Deviance solutions and propagating unconventional wisdom to those in need of better solutions. I mirror Dr. Sternin's Eight Steps (in black) with "Our 8 Rules" (in blue). These 8 Rules are like house rules to remind us (you and me) during our Jam Sessions of the things that enable us to create/discover unconventional excellence. Likewise, the Eight Steps and 8 Rules are a wonderful guide (rules of engagement) for other people to know how to best approach, understand and benefit from me and other creators/purveyors of Positive Deviance solutions.
- Step 1: Don’t Presume You Have the Answer: Approach the change issue with a beginner’s mind, ready to listen. Rule 1: Don't presume THEY have the answers.
- Step 2: Don’t Think of It as a Dinner Party: Involve only those that are a part of effecting the change, instead of a broad, diverse audience. Rule 2: It's OUR family dinner.
- Step 3: Let Them Do It Themselves: Set up a situation in which people can discover, on their own, a better way to do things. Raise questions but the let the group come up with its own answers. Rule 3: It's OUR journey, OUR answers.
- Step 4: Identify Conventional Wisdom: Establish the norms and associated boundaries... Rule 4: Identify what we are SUPPOSED to do, think, be.
- Step 5: Identify and Analyze the Deviants: Allow the positive deviants to emerge as it becomes clear that they have found a better way. Rule 5: Identify what we ACTUALLY do, better.
- Step 6: Let the Deviants Adopt Deviations On Their Own: Don’t teach new knowledge – encourage new behavior. Rule 6: Adopt deviations in OUR way (pace, style); act our way into new thinking (not visa versa); identify incentives that will keep us in the hunt.
- Step 7: Track Results and Publicize Them: Post the results, show how they are achieved and let other groups develop their own curiosity about them. Rule 7: Tell OUR story.
- Step 8: Repeat Steps One Through Seven: Make the whole change process cyclical. Rule 8: Do it again and again.
- Source for Eight Steps: Kevin Rain