The Overton Window: Why Bad Ideas Prevail Over Good Ideas
/Why do good ideas sometimes gain little traction and bad ideas flourish despite obvious flaws? It’s rarely related to the merit, logic, or evidence behind the idea. Instead, acceptance is based on political and cultural popularity. If it’s an unconventional idea that disrupts tradition, it will fail. If it’s a terrible idea, but falls within a group’s norms and expectations, it will likely succeed. The Overton Window illustrates why mediocre ideas triumph over great ideas.
This is the Overton Window:
The Overton window is the range of policies politically acceptable to the mainstream population at a given time. It is also known as the window of discourse. The term is named after Joseph P. Overton, who stated that an idea's political viability depends mainly on whether it falls within this range, rather than on politicians' individual preferences. According to Overton, the window frames the range of policies that a politician can recommend without appearing too extreme to gain or keep public office given the climate of public opinion at that time.1
Advocates of policy or culture change should consider the implications of the Overton Window. Blindly advocating an idea without appreciating cultural norms and expectations will face intense resistance. The idea may be logical, but just doesn’t fit with what is culturally “acceptable.”
One historic example is Prohibition. Alcohol went from legal, to illegal, and back to legal. Nothing changed with the alcohol itself. Rather, it was the cultural expectations that determined whether Prohibition was a good or bad idea:
To get an idea of how the Overton Window can change over time, think about the Prohibition Era. Just a few generations ago, the sale and use of alcoholic beverages was made illegal by federal law, suggesting that this policy was safe inside the Overton Window. But fast forward to today when people poke fun of the folly of Prohibition and virtually no politician endorses making alcohol illegal again. The Overton Window has clearly shifted, and Prohibition is no longer within its borders.2
The Overton Window best applies to politics, but carries over to corporate cultures. Corporations have cultural expectations formed over decades. A brilliant idea will go nowhere if it’s not framed to fall within corporate norms. If you’ve ever been frustrated advocating for a change, this idea may be part of the source of the resistance. We can’t change cultures overnight. And we may never be able to change them. But understanding the Overton Window gives us the best chance at modifying our approach to drive change.
As described below, the “Window” is almost always outside our control:
Many believe that politicians move the window, but that's actually rare. In our understanding, politicians typically don't determine what is politically acceptable; more often they react to it and validate it. Generally speaking, policy change follows political change, which itself follows social change. The most durable policy changes are those that are undergirded by strong social movements.3
Many corporate decisions are made to validate and confirm the expectations embedded in the company, not decided because they are the best idea. Decisions are made not by merit, but what fits “tradition.”
This is the challenging part of the Window. We don’t get to choose what’s acceptable and what’s not. Culture decides, not us. Our hands are tied. Change arises organically from within a system, not from an outsider pushing for change. Avoidance of that reality sets up perpetual frustration.
You can advocate for change. But first, develop the self-awareness to frame the change that aligns with cultural expectations. Anyone with grand ambitions to change bad policies through sheer effort is naïve and destined to fail. That’s why it’s critical to frame change to fall within the window.
Below is one way to view the window.4
One reason change is so hard is because it follows an evolutionary, not revolutionary process:
More often, the window moves based on a much more complex and dynamic phenomenon, one that is not easily controlled from on high: the slow evolution of societal values and norms.5
Here’s the big idea for leaders and change advocates: your organization will not change just because of new objectives or mission statements. It needs to fall within the Window. Radical change needs to be framed to fit with your company’s expectations. If new ideas conflict with ingrained behavior, the behavior wins.
Great leaders, especially those in turnaround situations, understand radical change needs to happen. The problem is overcoming organizational inertia. It will never happen on its own. The status quo is too powerful. People are too comfortable. An ownership mentality is non-existent. Staff turnover is essential during a corporate change. It shifts the Overton Window by replacing the old foundation with the right people.
One way to shift the Window is to make employees responsible for the change. Make it their idea. Instead of mandating a change from the top-down, nudge people to shift expectations on their own. If people think it’s their own idea, they’re much more likely to support the change. The best way to do this is to involve employees in the process. Give them a voice and a seat at the table. Mandating change doesn’t work. It only invites resentment. But by guiding people and letting them make their own decisions, they will shift the window without any force.
Why Your Boss Doesn’t Back Your Idea
The Overton Window doesn't describe everything about how politics works, but it does describe one key thing: Politicians will not support whatever policy they choose whenever they choose; rather, they will only espouse policies that they believe do not hurt their electoral chances.6
Why doesn’t your boss support your great idea? It may be because they have other incentives than making the right decision. Some prefer to keep people happy and don’t want to rock the corporate boat. Some don’t want to risk antagonizing their superior because that threatens career promotion. Some may be unmotivated. Whatever the reason, understand that competing priorities exist.
Corporate leaders have the same incentives as politicians. They’re making calculated trade-offs about making the right choice for the company vs. the right choice for their career and reputation. If there’s too much career or organizational capital at risk, they won’t do anything. They’re not going to fight for you. For employees, that’s extremely frustrating. But good employees will understand the reality of a corporate environment. The best idea does not always win.
At a minimum, leaders need to be honest with their employees. If they can’t agree to a new idea, they need to explain the truth clearly. Corporate politics is a reality. Leaders can’t pretend it doesn’t exist, especially when subordinates see their ideas die with little explanation.
Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overton_window
2. The Overton Window. https://www.mackinac.org/OvertonWindow
3. Joseph Lehman. An Introduction to the Overton Window. https://www.mackinac.org/12481
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overton_window
5. The Overton Window. https://www.mackinac.org/OvertonWindow
6. The Overton Window. https://www.mackinac.org/OvertonWindow