Reframing Method

Thousands of things can go wrong every day and put us in a bad mood. With the "reframing" method, many annoyances can be quickly pulled out.

The day starts early at six with a long traffic jam. Annoying, you are half an hour late for the construction site appointment. The builder is in a bad mood and scolds every little thing. Back in the office, the answering machine flashes hectically and otherwise there is silence. The secretary did not show up for work - she is sick. The cell phone is already ringing, it is the master's turn that the wrong wallpaper has been delivered to the construction site, for which the schedule is already tight. The day continues with a complaint from an angry customer, delays in updating the EDP and finally the son garnishes the evening with the admission that he once again did only a poor job in math work.

There are, these days when you could be green and blue annoyed from early to late. What to do? Go up in the air every time? Breathe in the middle, put on pink glasses and swallow the grudge? In between there is still a golden middle ground. The method is called "Reframing" and means nothing else in German than looking at a supposedly annoying situation in a different, equally realistic, but clearly more enjoyable setting. With the advantage that many stress moments at the root (namely our assessment of an event) can be gripped and neutralized. And if this only succeeds in a third of apparently unpleasant situations, the stress level drops by a good 30 percent. A good rate that the reframing training is worth - just give it a try!

context

"That would be it," says the lady to the butcher - and reaps a friendly smile, because the purchase has added up. "That would be it," says the woman to her husband - and looks into a horrified face, because the relationship came unexpectedly. "That's it then" is actually a clear sentence. But he also shows that the meaning of one and the same statement changes depending on the context in which it relates. So far, so insightful. But how does this turn into a positive framing technique for unpleasant moments? There are two idioms about winter: "Winter is not a season, it is a task," says one Sinclair Lewis. On the other hand, a Romanian saying goes: "In winter, the sour apples become sweet." Both perspectives are correct in themselves. But it is clearthat Mr. Lewis will suffer much more from the inconveniences of the cold season than the one who can also find its delicious side in winter. And this is exactly what the reframing method takes advantage of: it aims to discover genuine positive aspects in apparently negative circumstances.

New perspectives

Reframing is used to gain a new perspective on a situation in order to be able to deal with it better instead of blocking yourself with unnecessary stress. In order for this change of perspective to succeed, the following questions are helpful:

• What is good about this situation?
• What advantage can develop from this?
• What can I learn from it?

Try it now with our examples from the beginning:

The traffic jam: At first glance, the delay is uncomfortable, but at second glance there is a chance to relax briefly and to review all the details of the upcoming conversation with the client. And that is exactly why it then runs smoothly on the construction site.

The anger over the secretary's sick report: For today, her absence is a grain of sand in the transmission, but on the other hand, on such days it becomes clear what good job she does and how reliable she is otherwise.

The customer's complaint: The initial shock quickly gives way to the realization that the customer can now be satisfied and can thus be won over as an even more loyal customer.

Filius' Math Five: Shouldn't have been. But: The shot in front of the bow came at a relatively favorable time in the school year. A good overall grade can still be achieved with good tutoring.

As you can see, with this way of thinking you can achieve much more than just relaxation instead of tension. It clears the head to think constructively and act.

Lead employees

With the principle of reframing, you can not only communicate effectively with yourself, but also with employees - in conflict situations as well as with work instructions:

Inspire: A journeyman reacts to professional criticism with a resigned shrug and says: "I just can't do it." Before he makes himself comfortable in his negative shelter, a wake-up call is announced. With: "You are probably right - you cannot yet", the matter gets a new, realistic and constructive framework. Of course, combined with the proposal to attend further training next month.

Motivate: Work for a not so easy private customer is pending. Employee Maier, who you deliberately chose for this task, is awaiting instruction. If you say: "Mr. Maier, a difficult customer awaits you here, which you will probably not like, but someone has to do it", the employee will approach the matter with little motivation. It looks different if you choose this frame instead: “Mr. Maier, you are the man in our company who is particularly good at dealing with demanding customers. That is why you are the right person for this construction site. I will give you an overview of what is important to the customer."

Parry objections positively

In customer discussions, too, you will come across attitudes and the associated, often negative, perspectives. If your clients object, try to reassess concerns:

"The thermal insulation composite system is very expensive," the customer says. A critical point in the sales pitch, to which you can give a new, promotional framework with positive arguments: “Of course. You are interested in a system of the highest quality. This not only guarantees durability, but you also opt for optimal thermal insulation and save a lot of money on your heating bill.”

"What, you can only start my renovation in 14 days?" Says your customer, irritated. Time to show him the positive side: “Yes, the specialists from my team who are able to implement the tasks for you are very much in demand. In two weeks, you will have specialists in the house who will do their job extremely well - and do it very quickly.”

As you can see: the change of perspective, which converts seemingly unpleasant into constructive situations, is possible in the entire company communication - and is better every day with practice!