Ch. 8 of Wharton on Decision Making, written by Paul Shoemaker and J. Edward Russo, is about managing frames to make better decisions. We use frames knowingly and unknowingly to focus our attention on certain aspects of a problem, point of view, or situation. We enlighten specific attributes and block out others. We see life through our frames, and these frames help define our interpretations, expectations, and limitations.
The broader our frame the broader our view. It is easy to get tunnel visioned into a frame of thought or idea of how something should be. The authors state "Frames distort by imposing mental boundaries on options" (pg. 137). If we are limited by our frames then it is very possible to be blinded by our frames as well.
To exhibit good critical thinking concepts we must be aware of our frames, how they affect our perception, and the potential downsides to our limited points of view. We must also be cognizant to the fact that those we interact with have their established frames as well. Being unaware of our frames can be down right dangerous. To avoid falling into "framing traps" there are a few things we can do to open not only our own thoughts, but understand the frames of others we are in contact with.
First, you must be aware of your own frames. You can't manage what you can't see. The authors talk about conducting a frame audit and surfacing your frames. In other words, you need to know how you frame your thoughts, point of view, and understanding in order to know why you feel one way or another about situations. Taking into account your experiences and expectations can help you understand how you view things. For example, I joined the Navy at the ripe age of 31. It was a safe assumption that I had a much different and broad view of life than the average Sailor of 18 - 22 years of age. I had to take this into account when learning to work with superiors who were ten years my junior. They had experiences as a Sailor, and I had experiences as a professional. Where they may have not been able to understand my frame of thought I could understand theirs and adjust my tactics to be able to learn what I needed to learn.
Second, you must be willing to change your frames if they prove to be hindering your personal growth. It is useless to continue to view new situations through outdated frames of thought. You need to gauge if your frames are effective or not. I learned a valuable lesson many years ago from a VP in an advertising firm I worked for who said, "When making a decision ask yourself if it is a good thing, a bad, thing, a selfish thing, or a useless thing. If it is not a good thing you might want to double check your motives". I have used his lesson a thousand times when making decisions, and his advice always serves to take a second or third look at my problem.
Finally, master techniques for reframing. There are an infinite amount of choices when framing a problem. Compare alternatives, focus on the objective, identify all the constraints, and my favorite... ask for advice. If you are trying to solve a problem don't just use one frame to find a solution, use a couple to make sure you are making a sound decision. I use reframing a lot as a professional sales person. I tend to ask my clients several leading questions to discover their need and then I use several different frames to make sure I have honed in on the possible solution. This way I am more confident that I am providing the best service and products to meet my clients needs.
Using frames, more importantly knowing frames exist, has helped me be a better critical thinker. Complex decision-making require simplistic approaches through broad frames. Break down the complex into small, manageable parts and get to work one piece at a time. This is how I have learned to be an effective decision-maker. I also, try to flag myself if I become too reliant on a particular frame of thought or point of view. Taking the easy approach may not always be the best approach. I can honestly say that I have grown by the understanding of my frames and the frames of those I connect with. If we don;t agree, chances are good that we are not looking through the same frame. You never can tell how a person views a situation until you look at it from their particular point of view.
JP
The broader our frame the broader our view. It is easy to get tunnel visioned into a frame of thought or idea of how something should be. The authors state "Frames distort by imposing mental boundaries on options" (pg. 137). If we are limited by our frames then it is very possible to be blinded by our frames as well.
To exhibit good critical thinking concepts we must be aware of our frames, how they affect our perception, and the potential downsides to our limited points of view. We must also be cognizant to the fact that those we interact with have their established frames as well. Being unaware of our frames can be down right dangerous. To avoid falling into "framing traps" there are a few things we can do to open not only our own thoughts, but understand the frames of others we are in contact with.
First, you must be aware of your own frames. You can't manage what you can't see. The authors talk about conducting a frame audit and surfacing your frames. In other words, you need to know how you frame your thoughts, point of view, and understanding in order to know why you feel one way or another about situations. Taking into account your experiences and expectations can help you understand how you view things. For example, I joined the Navy at the ripe age of 31. It was a safe assumption that I had a much different and broad view of life than the average Sailor of 18 - 22 years of age. I had to take this into account when learning to work with superiors who were ten years my junior. They had experiences as a Sailor, and I had experiences as a professional. Where they may have not been able to understand my frame of thought I could understand theirs and adjust my tactics to be able to learn what I needed to learn.
Second, you must be willing to change your frames if they prove to be hindering your personal growth. It is useless to continue to view new situations through outdated frames of thought. You need to gauge if your frames are effective or not. I learned a valuable lesson many years ago from a VP in an advertising firm I worked for who said, "When making a decision ask yourself if it is a good thing, a bad, thing, a selfish thing, or a useless thing. If it is not a good thing you might want to double check your motives". I have used his lesson a thousand times when making decisions, and his advice always serves to take a second or third look at my problem.
Finally, master techniques for reframing. There are an infinite amount of choices when framing a problem. Compare alternatives, focus on the objective, identify all the constraints, and my favorite... ask for advice. If you are trying to solve a problem don't just use one frame to find a solution, use a couple to make sure you are making a sound decision. I use reframing a lot as a professional sales person. I tend to ask my clients several leading questions to discover their need and then I use several different frames to make sure I have honed in on the possible solution. This way I am more confident that I am providing the best service and products to meet my clients needs.
Using frames, more importantly knowing frames exist, has helped me be a better critical thinker. Complex decision-making require simplistic approaches through broad frames. Break down the complex into small, manageable parts and get to work one piece at a time. This is how I have learned to be an effective decision-maker. I also, try to flag myself if I become too reliant on a particular frame of thought or point of view. Taking the easy approach may not always be the best approach. I can honestly say that I have grown by the understanding of my frames and the frames of those I connect with. If we don;t agree, chances are good that we are not looking through the same frame. You never can tell how a person views a situation until you look at it from their particular point of view.
JP
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