Creating Frames and Frame Switching Creative people use frames to look at things from fresh angles. Leonardo da Vinci framed paint blots on the wall as landscapes, to get ideas for his drawings/paintings. Eg. we can develop frames by asking how things look from a future point of view, say five years from now. Use imaginative frames to get new ideas on a project Defining Frames Type of Frame Definition Problem Frame When everything is seen as a problem Learning Frame When everything is seen as a learning opportunity Detail Frame When the focus is on one element of an issue Big Picture Frame When the focus is on the whole issue Type of Frame Definition Personal Frame When you focus only on what is happening to you Team Frame When it is noticed how events affect the team Conflict Frame When the focus is on disagreement Negotiation Frame When the focus is on resolving conflict Frame Switching An issue can appear to be insurmountable. Encourage team members to view issues through another frame. Here are a few useful suggestion to encourage ‘frame switching’. Frame switching Problem frame to Learning Frame ‘‘What could you do about that?’’ Personal Frame to Team Frame ‘‘What is best for the team?’’ Frame Switching Detail Frame to Big Picture ‘‘ Can we step back from this for a moment and have a look at the situation?’ Conflict Frame to Negotiation Frame ‘‘What do you think would motivate them?’’ • Adapted from Coaching Successfully, Eaton & Johnson, DK books 2001