Strategy & Organisational Change
OPENING UP YOUR STRATEGY
mission? Secret
debatable investment, or key investors to reach a particular position, may be morally dubious. It is important that any framing is conducted within ethical parameters, where a degree of persuasion is useful and acceptable, but misleading and conveying a false impression is not. 5 Watch out for other people using framing on you As well as using framing to help deliver a strategy, managers and senior leaders should be aware that their own decisions can be affected by their own instinctive reactions. They need to put in place measures to ensure they assess any strategy or decision objectively, so they do not fall victim to the effect of framing. The best way to overcome the framing bias is to ensure there is a diversity of inputs into decisions. There are techniques to accomplish this, such as dividing a team into two groups and asking them to research and debate opposing positions. Another method is to appoint somebody as a ‘devil’s advocate’. Their role is to challenge the assumptions underpinning proposals and arguments to prevent any framing bias. Communication is essential to the implementation of any strategy, and there is a lot more to it than just exchanging information. Knowing and using the true potential of language with the right framing can help people become more effective strategists and leaders.
by Christian Stadler Why strategy should be shared
by their ‘cognitive schemas’ – that is, patterns of thought or behaviour that are influenced by individual characteristics. When looking to frame a strategy that staff will buy into, executives and senior managers can use this to their advantage by ensuring they use appropriate language. For instance, using the term “those people” to describe a particular group is likely to provoke implicit and unintended responses among employees who do not immediately identify with a particular strategy, and could alienate the very people you need to get on side. 2 Consider storytelling Conversely, effective framing can help generate buy-in for a particular strategy. Make use of storytelling and metaphor to evoke a particular image or potential situation. As our research found, creating implicit storylines that invite moral considerations and emotions into the decision-making process has a significant impact on outcomes. It’s a technique deployed to great effect by marketing agencies. Soft-drink brands present images of people drinking their beverage on a beach, with a party going on around them, to create positive
associations with the product. In reality, very few people will enjoy their drink like this. But it’s a powerful image, and a technique that managers can use when selling a vision to staff, customers or even investors. Managers should look at their different stakeholders and identify the framing strategy that is most likely to resonate with them and be seen by them in a positive light. 3 Ensure others know about it When framing a strategy, it is important to ensure that the other departments involved are aware of how important framing is, how a particular strategy is being framed, and why. This could include marketing, internal communications, media and external relations or employee engagement teams, as well as line managers. If necessary, consider investing in training so staff understand how to frame their own messaging around a strategy. 4 Know where to draw the line There is a dark side here, with the obvious potential to use framing to justify things that are questionable or unethical. Influencing the senior management team to make a
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