| "We don't see things as they are, we see them | | | | In persuasion, framing is one of, if not the most |
| as we are." - Anais Nin | | | | important tool we have. |
| The ability to frame a situation is considered 'spin' | | | | How can frames be used in our businesses? Say, |
| by politicians and media pundits. It's the ability to | | | | for example, you had a difficult client or a very |
| situate your view on an issue to your advantage. | | | | wealthy prospect who made you feel socially |
| There's the 'Nuclear Reduction Treaty' which on | | | | awkward and shy. |
| it's surface sounds like a pretty good idea. But in | | | | How about turning the situation into an |
| the world of 'spin' what something is called is not | | | | opportunity to use your persuasion skills? Walk |
| necessarily what's inside and in a very Orwellian | | | | into the meeting or situation with the intention of |
| twist, the actual substance of this treaty is to | | | | it being a learning experience. Frame the |
| prolong the nuclear standoff between the U.S. and | | | | interaction in terms of using your persuasion skills, |
| Russia and stockpile more weapons. Reduction? | | | | not in terms of their wealth or difficulty. |
| The 'frame' around this treaty sounded pretty | | | | Here's an example of the power of frames (quite |
| darn good though. | | | | literally). Recently my wife and I were looking at |
| This name game happens all the time in politics. | | | | buying a painting by the artist Thomas Kincaid. |
| The greatest, most well known example is 'the | | | | He's called 'the painter of light' and his original |
| Patriot Act'. It suggests freedom, liberty and the | | | | painting go directly to museums and very wealthy |
| pursuit of justice. And yet, it's exactly the | | | | collectors. But he makes lithographs available which |
| opposite of all of that, limiting freedoms, | | | | are hard to distinguish from the actual paintings. |
| diminishing freedoms and wildly unpatriotic. | | | | The woman who showed us the print first |
| Another framing example is the abortion debate. | | | | showed it without a frame, then she gave us two |
| On one side there are the 'pro-lifers'. Their frame | | | | examples of the painting within frames. The first |
| is to show photographs of aborted babies, villainize | | | | was simple and smaller. No big deal. The second |
| the other side as 'baby killers'. On the other side | | | | frame was ornate and beautiful and it made a |
| are the 'pro-choice' advocates who say that a | | | | huge difference. |
| fetus starts out not as an 'unborn baby' but | | | | The insignificant frame, the much less expensive |
| simply a cluster of cells that has the potential to | | | | one, nearly ruined the beauty of the painting. It |
| grow into a fetus and then a baby. They frame | | | | was meaningless. And it struck me right there, |
| the 'pro lifers' as 'anti choice' and point out the | | | | the importance of frames. I thought about what |
| irony that while many 'pro lifers' tend to anti | | | | an intense experience it is for people to buy into |
| abortion, they are also pro death penalty. | | | | our frames. |
| In the area of framing, the anti-abortionists have | | | | This week: think about the frames you've |
| framed the debate with more intensity showing | | | | established for yourself and how they may be |
| graphic images to bring their point home. | | | | ready to be updated. |