Would you wear shades on a rainy day? Probably not — they would make everything look dark and dreary. On the other hand, on a hot summer’s day we might find ourselves scrambling to find our shades, to be able to navigate comfortably in bright light.

Life is much the same way. Some moments are dreary, some sunny, some cold, some hot, some this, some that. Depending on the situation, and what we’re after, we may benefit from looking at life with one frame, or another. If your team is underperforming because of poor effort, and they are being casual about it, it may make sense to bring them together to discuss their performance and frame the meeting to be what it takes to be world class. But if they have underperformed because of a sudden change in market conditions, and they are feeling beaten up about it, it may make more sense to bring them together to discuss the situation and frame the meeting to be about where we source our joy from — the achievement of goals, or the diligent best-effort pursuit of our purpose. These are two different frames, and they will lead to two different sets of conversations, insights, and behaviors from the team.

As Henry David Thoreau once noted, “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” And what we see depends on how we frame our tasks and situations — the lens we view them through determines our approach.

Creating the Right Frame is an action we teach at Mentora which is a lot like putting on the appropriate pair of glasses depending on the situation. It involves viewing a situation from a lens that will help you bring out the best in yourself and the best in others in a specific moment.

I invite you then, to be aware, in every situation, about the frame that you are choosing to view that situation with. Be deliberate in choosing the frame that will get you the mood and behavior you seek, in the service of your purpose.

Warmly,
Hitendra

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