Framing a Picture: How Perspective Shapes Possibility

Have you ever noticed how a picture changes when you put it in a frame? Place a photo in a dark, heavy frame, and it feels somber. Put the same photo in a light, bright frame, and suddenly the image seems full of life. In conversations, our words work much the same way. The way we “frame” an issue can either limit possibility or open the door to new solutions, and the language we choose determines how others see the problem or the possibilities. 

During this month’s Monday Kickstarters, the group created positive frames for two challenges.

Creating a Positive Frame in a Conversation #1

Name it: Our team doesn’t communicate well.

Flip it: Our team does communicate well.

Frame it: We flourish, creating momentum and possibilities through open, inclusive communication grounded in genuine understanding.

From here, the group explored powerful generative questions to unlock new perspectives:

Use Generative Questions to Create a Positive Frame

• What does open and inclusive communication look and sound like?
• What opportunities would open up if we could communicate this way?
• If an article were being written about our team a year from now, what would we want the headline to say?
• What does communicating look like at its best?
• How might we be more aware of how we are communicating? How might we shift toward open, inclusive communication and understanding mid-conversation?
• Who do we want to choose to be while communicating with our team members?

Creating a Positive Frame in a Conversation #2

Name it: It’s hard to be productive because there is too much change happening at once.

Flip it: We are productive when a lot of change is occurring.

Frame it: We thrive while riding the waves of constant change, finding opportunities for learning and growth along the way.

Ask Generative Questions of the Team to Create a Positive Frame

• Who are we at our best?
• What are our strengths? How can we leverage them here?
• Where in our organization is productivity exceeding expectations during change?
• How might we find moments of thriving amongst the feelings of chaos?
• How might we uncover opportunities for learning and growth along the way?
• Where and when have we experienced this before and what gifts or wisdom can we learn from those experiences?
• Imagine it is a year from now and we have successfully ridden the waves of change. How did we make this happen?

Ask Generative Questions of Yourself to Create a Positive Frame

• What personal resistance do I have to adapting to the changes?

A Conversations Worth Having Cool Tip

People often ask, "How do I create a positive frame for a conversation?" Framing isn’t about glossing over reality—it’s about choosing the lens that brings out the light in it. When we consciously frame challenges as opportunities, we inspire ourselves and others to see the picture not just as it is, but as how it could be. Next time you face a challenge, try this shift: instead of asking, “Why is this happening to us?” ask, “What’s the opportunity here?” That simple reframe is like choosing a brighter frame for a picture – it doesn’t change the image, but it changes everything about how we see it. The right words can turn challenges into possibilities.

Find other ways to learn and practice ways to transform your conversations into Conversations Worth Having. Get the resources, products, QuickStart Guides, and training you need in our shop. 

Photo Credit: Binti Malu for Pexels https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-a-sign-and-eyeglasses-on-table-1485657/