Problem Framing: Use a Picture Frame

Problem framing adapted from the picture frame exercise in Facilitating with FINESSE, building on a decision-framing analogy from Carl Spetzler.

A camera does not capture everything in front of it; someone decides what belongs in the shot. I first ran into that idea as a decision-framing analogy from Carl Spetzler of Strategic Decisions Group: what falls inside the shot is scope, where you stand is perspective, and the kind of picture you want is purpose. In practice, scope is the piece that most needs a team’s attention, and a picture frame is the most direct way I have found to facilitate it.

In Example

On a facilities condition assessment, the frame surfaced a scope disagreement in minutes that would have taken a full meeting to resolve on a slide: was leased space in scope, or only owned assets? The team argued it out with a frame on the wall.

For a multi-year river basin plan, we used sticky notes on a small, wall-mounted whiteboard. Was ‘water quality’ part of the problem frame or just ‘water quantity’?  The legislative charge was clear but most of the group wanted ‘water quality’ too. So the latter got put on the frame.

Facilitating It

I usually bring an actual picture frame into the room and turn scope into something physical. The goal is to place as much as possible squarely ‘in’ or ‘out’. Items the team genuinely cannot decide ‘in’ or ‘out’ go on the frame itself.  That uncertainty is valuable information that flags exactly what needs to be clarified before the work moves forward.

The exercise works because it’s hands-on, and it keeps working long after the session ends. I pull out a photo of that original frame and put it back in front of the team before we re-charter or before we close-out the effort.

The Tip

Use the picture frame technique for framing. It never fails to deliver.

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The F in FINESSE stands for Frame, and the picture frame is one of four techniques I adapt to the group and the problem in front of me.

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JD Solomon champions practical communication skills that help technical professionals convey complex ideas clearly and confidently. Learn more at www.jdsolomonsolutions.com and www.communicatingwithfinesse.com.