Police Officer to Treasure Hunter
Changing the outlook
Oct 24, 2026
Listen on SoundCloud
Introduction by John Brooker
What might happen if people in roles with an oversight responsibility, in this case auditors, approached their work as ‘treasure hunters’ rather than ‘police officers’? This means retaining their ability to notice risks and shortcomings while also discovering what works, how people achieve it and what they might build on.
In this short audio recording, Julio Principe uses the engaging metaphor ‘from police officer to treasure hunter’, coined by the auditors to describe their experience, to explore how a change in outlook can help develop better solutions together in complex environments.
He illustrates this through his work with an auditing company. What appeals to me is that the auditors who participated retained their ability to notice detail in their role and yet also applied it to discovering what was working, how people achieved it and what they might build on. There is something encouraging about using abilities we already have in a different way.
The session offers ideas we can readily try; appreciating colleagues’ contributions, exploring successes and asking what others would notice as we make progress. These small changes in everyday conversations give the metaphor substance.
My one slight issue with the metaphor is that the term ‘treasure hunting’ might suggest people simply looking for the positive. For me, it is about discovering resources and exploring how these can help us make progress with the challenges we face.
Julio leaves us with an invitation; where might you become a more curious treasure hunter, and what difference might that make for you and those you work with?
My final thought is that, with some more concrete evidence, e.g. examples of changes in delivery, audit quality improvements and client experience feedback, Julio’s case study could be an excellent piece to develop further. I encourage Julio to consider its development.
This content was originally presented at the 2026 SF24 Conference
Julio Principe
InterAction Contributor
Julio (Peru) considers himself a “systemic gardener.” He has more than twenty-five years of experience helping individuals and organisations achieve their goals, both in person and online. He frequently serves as a guest lecturer and trainer to share his approach to complexity in organisations, using a generative, solution-focused perspective. He holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in psychology (UNMSM, Peru) and is the author of books in his field, including Listen: Perceive the Differences and Transform Your Life (Ed. Planeta, 2025).
John Brooker
Co-President
SFiO Reviewed Practitioner
Editor of Interaction
Chapter Head
SFiO Contributor
John has over thirty years experience of leading people to collaborate effectively. He gained his leadership experience as a Senior Vice President in Visa International, working on international projects. Since 2004 he has used his leadership and Solution Focus expertise to enable people in multinational and national organisations to collaborate effectively. He is Co-President of Solution Focus in Organisations, an SFiO Reviewed Practitioner and has an MBA from The Open University in the UK.