There
are three steps that managers can take in order to begin taking control of
their frames to avoid frame blindness or “framing traps”. The first step is to:
See the frame by conducting a frame audit.
A manager cannot begin taking control of his or her frame when they cannot see
them. Become aware and understanding your frames, understanding the frames of
others, and developing appreciation for newly developed frames can increase the
manager’s awareness of frames and avoid “framing traps”. The best way is to
surface the frames and present them visually (Hoch, Kunreuther, & Gunther,
2001).
A good
example of this situation would be the many different times my supervisor and I
have/had differences of opinions. On one instance I had consulted her for
guidance on the completion of a task. After the task was completed, I wanted to
receive feedback from her about the methods I used since they were different
but more efficient. Instead of receiving feedback, I received negative harsh comments
and was asked, “Why didn’t you do it the way I did it?” Being frustrated about the
situation, I brought up the incident to one of the managers. The manager then
took action and made her realize that everyone has their own methods of
completing tasks and as long as the methods or ideas are: efficient, ethical,
cost efficient, and the results are the same; it’s ok to try something new or
different. After this incident, my supervisor and I decided that any
conversation or situation that became similar to the prior incident were to be
resolved first by the both of us. We would accomplish this by first taking a
step back from our frame, reflecting on the situation, understanding each
other’s frame and view, and then reaching an agreement by acting rationally. If
this method doesn’t fix the situation then a manager would need to get involved
to help us see and understand each other’s frame or point of views.
The
second step is: Identify and change
inadequate frames. More often than we realize we work with outdated frames
or views of situations. Therefore, we must constantly challenge our own frames.
When things seem to fit too perfectly, we must take a step back and find other
frames that challenge our frames. Sometimes poor results or inconsistencies on
our own frames cause us to feel like we have the perfect frame (or solution)
and everyone else’s is wrong (frame denial). Times like these we must become
aware of our frame and accept the fact that our frame isn’t perfect and change
our frame if possible.
An
example of identifying and changing inadequate frames would be a situation I
professionally encountered with my supervisor. The situation began when my
supervisor asked me to take charge of the store as if it was my own. Seeing as
I had my first opportunity to show others what I can do, I took the challenge
and owned up to those words. I always did my best, went above and beyond even
when it wasn’t necessary and so on. But there were times where certain tasks
needed to be completed by a supervisor with clearance. Since I wasn’t the
official supervisor, I had no clearance. So tasks that required those types of
clearances, I left behind on my supervisor’s desk for her to do. During that
time I didn’t feel like I needed to tell her about her job or tasks, so leaving
them on her “to do list” pile on her desk was just part of the normal routine
for me. Things began to get out of hand with certain tasks falling behind and
my supervisor turning around and blaming me for the issues and problems
encountered.
After
the situation became under control, I realized that in part it was my mistake.
I had begun to act like I didn’t need her and that I could do a much better job
than her. I, basically, became overconfident on myself and on my skills. So at
the time, I should had taken a step back and change my inadequate frame. I
needed to accept the fact that I wasn’t (and still not) perfect and that
majority of tasks couldn’t be completed without her. Looking back now at the
situation, I would say that if I had the opportunity to change the situation
(or frame) I would. Instead of becoming overconfident on my skills, I still
needed to keep a clear communication with her by telling her about the tasks,
the events, the situations, etc. rather than just keeping her in the dark and
acting like I didn’t need her.
The last
step of avoiding “framing traps” is to: Master
techniques for reframing. Managers need to develop the capacity to create
new frames and select the correct frame for the situation rather than using a
frame out of habit. For certain situations, it is best to combine frames in
order to get a new perspective on the situation or to reach a solution. For this
step, I would like to use the same example as mentioned above on step one. One of
the reasons of why I had received negative harsh comments from my supervisor
was because I had used a combination of her old methods and some of the new
methods or ways to complete tasks now. In other words, I had used multiple
frames (or views/methods) in order to complete the tasks more efficiently. But instead,
my supervisor wanted me to rely on the “old” frame out of habit and wanted to
impose on me her frame. In my opinion, we are two different people and it seems
like we will always continue to have our differences of opinions. Some say it’s
the “old guard dog guarding her territory” sort of thinking that maybe causing
us to not communicate as much as we should be. With this new lesson on how to
avoid “framing traps”, I hope to be able to become more aware of my framing,
understand my supervisor’s framing as well as begin to appreciate new/different
frames and the frame of others.
Source:
Hoch, S.
J., Kunreuther, H., & Gunther, R. E. (2001). Managing frames to make better
decisions. Wharton on making decisions (pp. 142-153). New York: Wiley.
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