Change the frame, change what’s possible

Three webpages. Six contact details. One simple request.

A while ago I was working with a council team on their facilities booking service. Prepping for the project, I noticed three different webpages, different forms and contact details depending on the venue. I was just trying to book one.

"It's an information problem," I thought.

Then we brought the project team together – representatives of the four different teams involved in some aspect of delivering the service. The perspective shifted. They saw challenges with internal coordination and the booking system.

After speaking with customers, we heard something different again. They weren't particularly concerned about the online information and booking system. Instead, they told us about collecting the keys, paying bonds and even just finding the lights.

Diverse perspectives are gold. There’s always more happening beneath the surface than we realise. Same service but different perspectives on what was going on.

That experience has stayed with me because it reinforced something I see repeatedly in strategy and organisational change.

The way we frame a situation shapes what we notice, what we prioritise and ultimately what we choose to do. Better decisions start with better thinking.

The way we frame a situation shapes what we see - and what we solve. see. Photo: Norwood Themes, Unsplash

The frame shapes the solution

When things are straightforward, we usually know what’s happening and how to respond.

Increasingly though, organisations are dealing with complex challenges. We may know the outcome we're trying to achieve, but not what to deliver, how to get there, or sometimes even what the real problem is.

Sticking with established approaches feels safe but limits us. Complex challenges need a shift, from knowing → exploring

That’s when framing becomes important. Framing is how we make sense of a situation. It’s the lens we use to understand what’s happening and decide how to respond.

The way we frame a situation determines which solutions we can even see. Reframe it, and entirely new approaches may become visible.

Buildings being graffitied? Law and order issue. Or unmet need for creative expression? Same situation, but different interpretation and different response. A small shift in perspective can reveal possibilities, that were invisible only moments before.

Without recognising how we're framing a problem, we often default to familiar solutions. We risk solving the wrong problem or missing better possibilities entirely.

Noticing our framing - and being willing to challenge it - unlocks our ability to respond to what's actually in front of us. Reframing helps us step back and explore: what else might be going on here?

Three ways to shift the frame

Reframing is a practical habit. Here are three ways I use it regularly.

1. Shift the question

The questions we ask influence the answers we find. "How can we fix this?" assumes we already understand the problem. "How might we...?" or "What if...?" opens new possibilities.

Sometimes changing the question is enough to uncover an entirely different conversation.

2. Shift the view

Look through someone else's eyes – customers, frontline staff, partner organisations, future users. What do they notice, and what matters to them?

Often the most valuable insight comes from stepping outside our own perspective.

3. Shift the zoom

Sometimes we need to zoom out to connect with the bigger purpose or look at the broader system. Other times we need to zoom in, and become more specific or understand a single interaction or moment.

Changing the level of focus often changes the way we understand the challenge.

The role of leaders

One of the most valuable things leaders can do isn't provide answers but helping people see differently.

Good leaders create the conditions and safety for teams to question assumptions, explore different perspectives and challenge the way problems have been framed.

As leaders, the ability to step back and test our perspective is powerful and opens the door to new possibilities – essential for the complex challenges we face.

Creativity is one outcome of that process. Innovation is another. But both begin much earlier, with our willingness to stop, step back and ask: "What else might be going on here?"

Change the frame, change what’s possible

Reframing helps you see differently. When your thinking feels stuck, take it as a cue to test your perspective. When you see differently, you think differently.

That's often where new possibilities begin.