This is the second installment of the Framing decision Making trap and here I’ve got two good questions for you to consider using the next time a problem is presented for you to solve.
To recap, the best solution to help avoid the Framing decision making trap is to get in some good questions. Don’t take it for granted that your team has already correctly identified the root problem.
So what are some good questions? I’m going to give you 2 that will get you started down the question path.
- Can you give me some background here with this client, co-worker, or vendor? After they’ve given some context, you might be prompted to ask some follow up questions based off those answers. There might be details that appear innocuous to your employee or co-worker, but are actually critical to understanding and solving the root problem. The frame might need to expand to cover previous jobs or interactions with the client.
- The Why question. Simply ask, why do you think this has happened? A lot of times when trying to solve a problem, we’re quick to ask the who, what, when and how questions so that we can grasp the situation at hand. While those are necessary questions, they won’t help insulate you from the potential framing error. When someone answers a why question, they will reveal their presuppositions and beliefs about the problem at hand. This normally opens up opportunity for additional questions.
These are simple but effective questions. It’s key to realize that both of these questions will inevitably lead to more questions, and that is part of why they’re affective.
Give these a try, and hopefully you can steer clear of the framing decision making trap.
