What's in the window? What can you see?

Let's put the petty implications of politics aside for this post.

I suppose John Kingdon's policy windows of opportunity has been around for a while now, but it's brand new for me, and I think that every team player and leader should know how to use this as an analytical tool.

Essentially, the window of opportunity happens when you've got streams of problems, solutions, and politics overlapping into one another at the same time.

This is best depicted visually, and a venn diagram with three circles is the standard image you might find in textbooks and other publications. However, we should acknowledge that it is a dynamic process (ergo the mention of "streams" for problems, solutions, and politics).


First, I'd like to redefine what politics are. Politics is the articulated desire for action. It's about what is seen as wanted or needed, it doesn't necessarily need formal systems and attention to happen. It goes beyond elections, diplomacy, or international statements.

That said, we can apply Kingdon's model beyond the realm of State, Federal, and Foreign policy and test this window on individuals. In particular, individuals like you and I who work with others as team members and leaders.

I like how the circles in the venn diagram work out. You'll always have more information than you can fit in the window of opportunity.

There will always be more information than you can use