The Bright Green Frog

One day last week, I was together with several family members, all looking at a lily pond.

“Look! There’s a frog!” said one person.

“Where? I don’t see it” said another.

“Right there” said the first person, pointing.

“Hmm, I still don’t see a frog.”

“It’s bright green.”

“Oh, there it is!  I was looking for something much darker.  It’s easy to see now that I know what I’m looking for”

Isn’t it remarkable how our expectations can make it hard to see what’s right in front of us?

Whether we’re trying to resolve a disagreement, solve a technical puzzle, or plan a major re-org for the company, sometimes the key to spotting a good solution is to recognize how our existing perspectives and assumptions are coloring what we can and can't see.

Now take a step back and look again with those filters removed.