The Art of Framing

""

"We assume a leadership role, indeed we become leaders, through our ability to decipher and communicate meaning out of complex and confusing situations."

"Leaders at all levels must know how to frame."

"We need to have our values firmly in mind as we develop our framing skills."

"Communicating goals are a product of our general models and of the specifics of context, including its opportunities and constraints."

"Global, short-term, and emergent goals do not operate independently of one another."

"Our mental models set up an ideal, a standard, or an exemplary case that we use to compare against current circumstances."

"Strong framing is driven by the fact that there is a clear idea of what is good and a clear idea of why sacrifice or extra effort may be required."

"Through context sensitivity, we learn the who, what, where, when, why and how of framing effectiveness."

"In the same way that metaphors intrigue in great literature, they can help us to think more concretely about concepts, processes, people, and objects at work."

"If our language use contradicts others' communications, our own actions, or others' expectations, we can choose to deal directly with these contradictions and the attendant mixed messages by communicating about them."

"Skilled framers make maximum use of high-impact opportunities; they act on their instincts and seize the moment."

"Part of what people use to evaluate your believability comes from the competence you display in what you frame: the subjects about which you communicate and your expertise with respect to them."