Schoemaker and Russo, the authors of one of our chapters for this Modules reading assignments identify a concept they call "frame blindness" and follow by discussing how we can avoid it. Frame blindness is the idea that organizations, managers and employees all have a tendency to not see the point of views of others which are contrary to their own. The danger of "framing traps" is if a manager fails to recognize they are not seeing the entire problem, then they can potentially fail their team by making decisions on incomplete data.
To avoid these situations, it is important that a good manager must first identify and acknowledge the frame they are working in. As part of this measure, it is also important that the manager communicate to others their frame of reference to start the conversation of self identification among the various members of a team. One of the best ways of identifying your frame is through a frame audit. At the school I work, I am part of an organization called Phi Theta Kappa which is an honors society for Community College Students. I was asked to be a part of this group two years ago by one of our College's Vice Presidents because she wanted to create a variance in the makeup of the advisor team. At our college, we have both Academic and Career/Technical Programs of study. The vast majority of our Academic students anticipate transfer to a 4 year university when they complete their first two years at the community college. The Career/Technical programs typically are filled with students who anticipate going into the workforce once they finish their two year program of study. The framing situation that existed before I was asked to be part of the advisor team was our advisors were all Academic instructors and often forgot about the majority of our student body who are in Career/Technical programs. Phi Theta Kappa is currently in the process of re-framing their organization by being more inclusive of Career Technical students in all areas of our organization. As a Career Technical Instructor, I represent the voice of all of our Career and Technical programs in the college. This helps to give the group a more inclusive view of each program so we can provide for the needs of our student body.
Another of our framing traps we often get caught up in is the inability to change inadequate frames. It is important that once we recognize the frame we are in, that we also admit if it is inadequate for the situation and make changes so it is a better situation. Is your frame working for you and you team? Is there something about it that needs modification, or a reason it is not a good fit at all? When I first joined the Iota Mu Chapter of PTK as an advisor, I did not know why I was there, or what my purpose was. At first, I attempted to adopt the frame the other advisors were working under already as it was a great fit for them. I expected this was the way I was supposed to operate. My first year as an advisor, I felt as though the situation I was in each week during our meetings did not feel right, but that I would get used to it. Having been an academic student when I was an Undergraduate, I felt my intuition would take over and allow me to get along with the group. In their article, Curseu, Schruijer, and Fodor (2016) point out that managers expect groups to successfully integrate each team members unique contributions. In this case, I was not integrating, but trying to assimilate the groups current make up. I failed to notice why I was asked to be part of the team, which was for my contributions as a Career Technical Instructor. Last April, I had the opportunity to attend the International Conference of Phi Theta Kappa where I learned about the new mission and goals of the organization to include Career and Technical student bodies. I also learned about PTK's Five Star Advisor Plan which was a training developed by PTK to give new and seasoned advisors a resource to learn and reframe ourselves. I have since completed the Five Star Advisor training and feel that my contributions are worthy of inclusion with our group.
Finally, we must also constantly create new frames for each new situation we may find ourselves in. Avoiding the unknown by staying in our safe and comfortable known frame leads to frame blindness and makes your decisions obtuse and inadequate for the ever changing world. I know I live in the safety of my frames and often am scared to venture out. I have long believed it was impossible to make a bad life choice, we just have to figure out why we were sent down a particular path after a decision is made. With this course, I realize that may not be exactly correct, but I also have questioned my decision to become a teacher as a major mistake in my career. However, if I had not made that decision I would not be in this course learning about the need to change your frame of view. Prior to becoming a teacher, I was the Technology Manager at two K-12 institutions and a small college. The teacher I wasn't was my customer in all of those situations, and I often failed to see the frames which they were in as they were not joining me in my Technology is Better frame of view. Now that I am framed as a teacher, I see the conundrum I created by being limited in my view of everyone else's situation.
References:
Curseu, P. L., Schruijer, S. G. L., & Fodor, O. C. (2016). Decision rules, escalation of commitment and sensitivity to framing in group decision-making. Management Decision, 54(7), 1649-1668. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/1809013681?accountid=27203
Hoch, S. & Kunreuther, H. (2001). Wharton on Making Decisions. John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken, NJ.
Martinovski, B. (2014). Interactive alignment or complex reasoning: Reciprocal adaptation and framing in group decision and negotiation. Group Decision and Negotiation, 23(3), 497-514. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/10.1007/s10726-013-9363-5
Slotte, S., & Hämäläinen, R.,P. (2015). Decision structuring dialogue. EURO Journal on Decision Processes, 3(1-2), 141-159. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/10.1007/s40070-014-0028-7
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