Positive Deviance

Purpose

Positive Deviance (PD), pioneered by Jerry and Monique Sternin, starts from a powerful insight: in every community or organization facing a problem, there are individuals who have already solved it using the same resources as everyone else. PD identifies these positive deviants, studies their behaviors, and creates conditions for the wider community to discover and adopt these behaviors — without top-down mandates.

At a glance

How to run

1. Define the problem and outcome (10 min). Clearly state the problem and the desired outcome in measurable terms. Confirm with the group.
2. Identify positive deviants (10 min). Ask: "Who in our system is already achieving this outcome despite facing the same constraints as everyone else?" Brainstorm names, teams, or units.
3. Discover uncommon practices (20 min). Interview or discuss: What do these positive deviants do differently? Focus on observable behaviors, not character traits. Use questions like: "What do they do that others don't? When? How? With whom?"
4. Determine accessibility (10 min). Filter: Which of these behaviors are accessible to everyone (not requiring special resources, authority, or talent)? These are the actionable behaviors.
5. Design practice opportunities (10 min). Create small experiments or practice spaces where others can try these behaviors. PD does not lecture about best practices — it creates conditions to practice them.

Materials needed

• Flip chart for problem definition and outcome
• Interview protocol for positive deviants
• Sticky notes for behavior identification
• Action experiment template

Pitfalls & common mistakes

• Importing solutions from outside. PD insists that solutions must come from within the community. External "best practices" undermine ownership.
• Celebrating the deviant instead of the behavior. Focus on what they DO, not who they ARE. The behavior must be learnable.
• Skipping the practice step. Knowing about a better behavior does not change behavior. People need to practice in a safe space.
• Top-down implementation. PD is community-driven. Mandating "deviant behaviors" is an oxymoron.

Inclusion & accessibility

• PD inherently values the wisdom within the community, especially from unexpected sources.
• Positive deviants often come from marginalized positions — their success can shift status dynamics.
• Ensure the inquiry process is accessible (language, location, timing) to all community members.
• Celebrate diverse pathways to success, not one "right" way.

Variations

• Internal PD inquiry: Use within a single organization to find teams that outperform under the same constraints.
• PD + storytelling: Have positive deviants tell their stories in community gatherings.
• Digital PD: Use surveys and data analytics to identify positive deviants at scale.

When NOT to use this

• When there are genuinely no positive deviants — the problem is truly universal and requires external innovation.
• When the organization wants a quick fix — PD is a process, not a one-time event.
• When power dynamics prevent honest inquiry into what works.

Source & further reading

• Pascale, R., Sternin, J., & Sternin, M. (2010). *The Power of Positive Deviance*. Harvard Business Review Press.
• Singhal, A. & Dura, L. (2017). *Positive Deviance and Social Change*. Peter Lang.
• Positive Deviance Collaborative. https://positivedeviance.org