Home Library Translate
A A A
Share »
Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on LinkedIn
Connect »

Blog: Coaching and Action Learning

Menu

  • This Blog's Home
  • Guest Writer Submissions
  • Policies
  • To Subscribe to a Blog
  • About
  • Feedback

Basic Guidelines to Reframing — to Seeing Things Differently

By Carter McNamara on February 2, 2012

Reframing is seeing the current situation from a different perspective, which can be tremendously helpful in problem solving, decision making and learning.

Reframing is helping you or another person to more constructively move on from a situation in which you or the other person feels stuck or confused.

The aim of reframing is to shift one’s perspective to be more empowered to act – and hopefully to learn at the same time.

Many times, merely reframing one’s perspective on a situation can also help people change how they feel about the situation, as well.

Many fields regularly use reframing, including therapy, coaching and even marketing and sales.  Techniques of reframing can also be used to cultivate creative and critical thinking skills.

When working to reframe perspective on a situation, consider the following basic guidelines.  Keep in mind that, even though the following examples are about another person’s comments, you can use the guidelines to shift your own perspectives, as well.

Shift from passive to active

For example, if the other person said, “I really doubt that I can do anything about this,” you might respond, “What is one small step that you might take?”

Shift from negative feeling to positive feeling

For example, if the other person said, “I don’t want to work on that now because it makes me feel sad,” you might respond, “What small part of that might you work on for now, that might even leave you feeling a bit more happy?”

Shift from past to future

For example, if the other person said, “I’ve never been good at public speaking,” you might respond, “If you imagined yourself to be successful at public speaking, how would you be speaking that would be successful?”

Shift from future to past

For example, if the other person said, “I can’t seem to get started on achieving this goal,” you might respond, “Has there been a time in the past when you achieved a goal and, if so, what did you do back then to be successful?  How might you use that approach now?”

Shift from others to oneself

For example, if the other person said, “They don’t seem to like me,” you might respond, “What do you like about yourself?”

Shift from a liability to an asset

For example, if the other person said, “I’m such a perfectionist,” you might respond, “How might being a perfectionist help in your job and life, though?”

Shift from victimization to empowerment

For example, if the other person said, “That always seems to happen to me,” you might respond, “Sometimes we even do that to ourselves.  Perhaps it’d be useful to explore if you’re somehow doing that to yourself, too?”

Can you think of other examples of reframing?

—

For many related, free online resources, see the following Free Management Library’s topics:

  • All About Personal and Professional Coaching
  • Communications Skills
  • Skills in Questioning
  • Systems Thinking
  • LinkedIn Discussion Group about “Coaching for Everyone”

————————————————————————-

Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD – Authenticity Consulting, LLC – 763-971-8890
Read my blogs: Boards, Consulting and OD, and Strategic Planning.

« Previous Next »

Search Our Site

Meet this Blog’s Co-Hosts

Chuck Appleby of Appleby & Associates is a leadership and organization development consultant with over 30 years of management, consulting, and coaching experience. [Read more ...]

Carter McNamara of Authenticity Consulting, LLC, has decades of experience providing group coaching and Action Learning around the world. [Read more ...]

Pam Solberg-Tapper is a highly experienced Professional Certified Coach. Her company, Coach for Success, designs, implements and coaches in a variety of leadership and executive programs.
[Read more ...]

Recent Blog Posts

  • What is the One Best Model of Group Coaching?
  • How to Avoid Confusion in Conversations About Learning and Development
  • Reflections on the Question: “Is it Group or Team Coaching?”
  • Single-Project and Multi-Project Formats of Action Learning
  • What is Group Coaching? How Do You Develop It? (Part 2 of 2)
  • Extensive, Free, Practical Online Resources for Action Learners, Facilitators and Coaches
  • What is Group Coaching? How Do You Develop It ? (Part 1 of 2)
  • Action Learning Certification — There is No Independent Certifying Body (Should There Be?)
  • Many Faces of Action Learning: A Key to Learning from Experience
  • How to Manage Overwhelm by Setting Boundaries

Categories of Posts

  • Action Learning
  • Basics and Overviews
  • Coaching in Organizations
  • Coaching Tips
  • Coaching Tool
  • Credentialing
  • Executive Coaching
  • General Resources
  • General Resources
  • Philosophies and Models
  • Schools and Programs
  • Self Coaching
  • Tools and Techniques
  • Types of Coaching
  • Uncategorized

Related Library Links

  • Assessments (Personal)
  • Changing Behaviors
  • Career Development
  • Coaching
  • Communications
  • Continuous Learning
  • Decision Making
  • Employee Performance
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Goals (Setting Personal)
  • Questioning (Skills In)
  • Motivating
  • Personal Development
  • Personal Wellness
  • Power and Influence
  • Problem Solving
  • Supervision
  • Leadership (All Kinds)
  • Feedback (Sharing)
  • Listening Skills
  • Emotional Intelligence

Library's Blogs

  • Boards of Directors
  • Building a Business
  • Business Communications
  • Business Ethics, Culture and Performance
  • Business Planning
  • Career Management
  • Coaching and Action Learning
  • Consulting and Organizational Development
  • Crisis Management
  • Customer Service
  • Facilitation
  • Free Management Library Blogs
  • Fundraising for Nonprofits
  • Human Resources
  • Leadership
  • Marketing and Social Media
  • Nonprofit Capacity Building
  • Project Management
  • Quality Management
  • Social Enterprise
  • Spirituality
  • Strategic Planning
  • Supervision
  • Team Building and Performance
  • Training and Development
About Feedback Legal Privacy Policy Contact Us
Free Management Library, © Copyright Authenticity Consulting, LLC ®; All rights reserved.
  • Graphics by Wylde Hare LLC
  • Website maintained by Caitlin Cahill

By continuing to use this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy.X