The Art of Framing and Reframing: From Problem to Possibility
“The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.”
I’ve always loved the above quote from Dorothy Lange, an American documentary photographer and Depression-era photojournalist who humanized the consequences of that era. That quote was also shared by my father, who instilled and nurtured in me a love of photography (and art). Drawing from these origins, my passion and interest for photographing people and places, up close and afar, is an active part of how I “frame up” my world today (a few personal examples can be found above and within this post).
Developing a photographic sensibility — or an “eye” — entails a thoughtful and personal process while considering the moment, capturing multiple perspectives, real-time assessment and reflection, trial and experimentation, and an interest and openness to new and future approaches and possibilities.
One of my joys in the pivot to full-time coach, advisor, and facilitator for CEOs, executive leaders and teams is helping them elevate individual and collective performance and in so doing find new ways of framing or reframing their present selves, teams, or organizations that might yield better outcomes.
While our rapidly shifting workplace and workforce dynamics place a special emphasis on framing and reframing as an essential skill in one’s leadership and team toolkit, there are many approaches that have been written about or applied over time. You may have your own.
Consider the following examples:
1. The Four Frame Model of Leadership
The work of Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal through their book, Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice and Leadership provides different perspectives through which individual organizations can best be understood, and how leaders can go about framing and reframing varied situations and contexts. The four frames include:
- The Structural Frame, focusing on organizational structure and providing insight into how managers and leaders within organizations can better organize and structure organizations, groups, and teams to get results.
- The Human Resource Frame, focusing first on the people in organizations and providing insight into how to tailor organizations to satisfy human needs, improve human resource management, and build positive interpersonal and group dynamics.
- The Political Frame, focusing on the political dynamics in organizations and examining how managers and leaders in organizations can understand power and conflict, build coalitions, hone political skills, and deal with internal and external politics.
- The Symbolic Frame, focusing on meaning and culture in organizations and providing insight into how leaders and managers can shape culture, stage organizational drama for internal and external audiences, and build spirit through ritual, ceremony, and story.
2. Assessing and Reframing Connected Stakeholder Group Impact
Gaining a greater awareness of the connected system of stakeholders a leader or team may serve, makes for more informed decision making and ideation processes. For example, in a world of constant disruption and risk, there is a continuous need to understand and assess how actions and words align and impact key stakeholder groups. Below is a sample framing tool I have used to drive and reframe a stakeholder-first orientation.
3. Expert View: Interview with Steve Garcia
I reached out to friend and organizational expert, Steve Garcia, for his thoughts and insights. As the Managing Partner for Contemporary Leadership Advisors, Steve and his team help clients build and lead faster, deliver higher quality output, and impact, and become more agile and adaptive organizations in rapidly changing, complex environments.
Given the nature and rate of change currently taking place among your diverse pool of clients, how is the process of framing and reframing helping your clients achieve better results?
SG: As the business world grows more complex, business challenges are harder to solve. The more insight and perspective that leaders have available to them, the better equipped they are to address these challenges. Reframing invites leaders to look at a problem from different points of view to expand their understanding of the issue and uncover creative solutions.
One example comes from the consumer division of a large life sciences company that sought to expand sales using innovative product packaging. Their initial efforts proved disastrous. In one case, the plastic required to create a uniquely shaped bottle interacted with the formulation, causing the bottle to shatter when dropped. The result was millions in wasted inventory, product launch delays, frustrated retail customers, and internal finger pointing.
The leader responsible for solving the problem initially framed it as a process issue. “We need to define a standard packaging development process and make sure everyone follows it.” What we came to realize, however, was that the process was only the tip of the iceberg. It turned out each function had a different definition of success that was preventing them from working together effectively. Marketing wanted the packaging to appeal to customers, R&D was focused on keeping the formulation safe from light and moisture, and Operations needed to produce each unit for pennies at scale. By reframing the challenge to gain cross-functional agreement on what success looks like, we got each function to understand the others’ perspective and start collaborating. The result was a 3-month reduction in development time and an estimated $70MM in new revenue.
When you work with an executive leader presented with new challenges and opportunities for which helping them reframe is a key part of getting them started, what processes do you use to accelerate their thinking or consider divergent paths?
SG: One is to recognize when reframing is beneficial. Good indicators are when a leader is feeling stuck, overwhelmed, pointing fingers, finding themselves in the same situation repeatedly or simply resigned to “this is just the way it is.” If you find yourselves in any of those circumstances, reframing is a great way to explore new possibilities.
A second process that helps to reframe is the use of questions. Take the Four Frame Model of Leadership for example. Simply asking, “What’s the structural way of thinking about this issue?” or “How could you apply the symbolic frame here?” gets leaders to think about the challenge in a new light.
In addition, the nature of the challenge can help identify the appropriate question. If a leader is engaged in conflict, it may be useful for them to reframe it from the other person’s point of view by answering the question, “How does the person you’re in conflict with think about this issue?” Or, if situation is emotionally charged, it may be beneficial to reframe it from a perspective that provides greater distance from their emotions. In this case, the question might be, “What would your best friend tell you to do?” or “How will you think about this a year from now?”
While less common, it can also be helpful to combine the use of metaphor with questions to create new frames. For example, when posed with the question, “What would your favorite superhero do?” one leader imagined the most courageous course of action he could take, which ultimately led him to divest a $350MM business, freeing up resources to focus on a new strategic opportunity.
Given the opportunity to help a group problem-solving process, what advice would you give a leader to facilitate an effective reframing discussion?
SG: The good news is that groups come with multiple frames built in; everyone brings their own, unique point of view on a challenge. The trick here is twofold. First, leaders need to make sure the group has the diversity of thought to get a comprehensive understanding of the problem. In some cases, this means bringing in representative stakeholders or outside experts who can introduce a new lens. Second, leaders need to establish psychological safety, such that all group members feel comfortable sharing their ideas even though others may disagree.
In instances when these conditions can’t be met, a structured process can help. Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats is one example. The tool assigns a different frame to six different colored hats: blue for the big picture, white for facts and information, red for feelings and emotions, black for negative, yellow for positive and green for new ideas. Each group member assumes a different hat and is tasked with thinking about the problem from the corresponding frame. In another, simpler example, a leader may ask half the group to assume the “glass half full” perspective and the other half to assume the “glass half empty” perspective. Either way, the approach helps to mitigate group think and helps prompt everyone to share a perspective.
Thanks, Steve.
In summary…
Revisiting my penchant for photography and art, one of my favorite pieces of art (a mixed media collage) was purchased about fifteen years ago from a young street artist.
A few weeks ago, truly by happenstance, my wife and I had a chance to re-connect with him at a major art show. It was very clear that his style (and reputation) had evolved. His work showed a greater depth, and — in essence — he had matured into a more confident and complete artist. While we still love his original pieces, it was notable and impressive to see his evolution, knowing that — at some point in time — he likely “opened his lens” to seeing things differently, arriving at a different output and different messages he was hoping to relay through his art.
In the end, we all see things through different lenses — largely based on upbringing and experiences, both personal and professional. Much of the success in the exercise of framing or reframing as a leader, is rooted in a willingness to accept the value of the exercise right from the outset and stay open to the possibilities and outcomes that will likely emerge, and ultimately, reframed for the better.
Additional people and place photos:
