A Conversation with Dan Heath: Problem Blindness
November 01, 2020
Appears in November 2020: School Administrator.
Thought Leadership Series
![Dan Heath2](/images/default-source/school-administrator/2020-november/27-feb2020_sbsi2020_danheath13.jpg?sfvrsn=fb46a049_7)
This second installment in School Administrator’s Thought Leadership Series captures the thinking of book author Dan Heath in a conversation with Joe Sanfelippo, superintendent in Fall Creek, Wis., a school community with 850
students located 90 minutes east of St. Paul, Minn.
Heath is a senior fellow at Duke University’s Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship and the co-author (with brother Chip Heath) of four bestsellers on the psychology of leadership practices and strategies. He appeared at the 2015 AASA national conference as a General Session speaker and is a past contributor to School Administrator magazine.
In Sanfelippo’s interview, which focuses on Heath’s most recent book, Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen, the author talked about “problem blindness,” gaining more accurate perceptions
of reality and setting a goal that motivates others for action.
Heath opens Upstream with a venerable parable that’s attributed to various originating sources to frame his work. The parable depicts two friends at
the edge of a river when suddenly they see a child in the river. Both jump in to rescue the child. Then they see another child floating in the stream and save that child. Then another child and another and another are floating down the stream. At
one point one of the friends exits the water and starts running alongside the river up the stream. His partner, still in the water, saving the children floating his way says, "Where are you going? I need help saving all of these children." The friend
responds, "I'm going upstream to stop the person throwing all of these kids in the water!" (Heath relates this parable in a one-minute video.)
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
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Author
Other Books by Dan Heath
Several of Dan Heath’s previous books, most co-authored with brother Chip Heath, have important applications for school leaders. Here’s what I see as their relevancy:
- The Power of Moments
In the book I recommend most often to school leaders, Heath dives deep into how we can create moments for people to remember 20 years from now. In a world where everyone believes they know exactly what happens in your school based on what happened when they went to school years ago, creating moments that people talk about is a fantastic way to change the narrative of your school. - Made to Stick
This work completely changed the way we communicate with families in Fall Creek, Wis. If we get the messages of our district to those we serve in a way they can easily digest them, we have a much better chance of those communications sticking. Forcing engagement in areas where our people live has tremendous staying power for district messages. - Switch
The rational mind wants to see change happen. The emotional mind likes the comfort of how things are. We see this often in school districts. Who wants change? Hands go up. Who wants to change? Silence. When we make a connection to the rational and emotional minds, we have a much better opportunity to lead the process of change. - Decisive
From snow days to staffing, we’ve all been in our office agonizing over a decision. We play every angle and know the one we walk away with may not meet everyone’s needs. Decisive helps you make the right choice at the right moment and that is something we all need in this position.
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