The frame is the message (2)

This is a continuation of last week’s post, The frame is the message (1).

Framing is so obvious in advertisements that it is difficult to miss it. When a mosquito repellent is advertised, for example, the focus is on the joy of sleep undisturbed by mosquitoes or freedom from dreaded diseases such as malaria and dengue. The advertiser doesn’t bring into the frame any concerns about allergy the users may have to the chemicals in the repellent. Or any other side-effect, for that matter. If we ask whether it is safe, the advertiser may tell us that millions of people have been using it for years. That doesn’t mean that it will be safe for us, but the framing is such that we assume that it will be safe for us too.

Framing is the heart of persuasion. If it is attractively presented at the right time, it can alter perceptions radically and change the complexion of the discussion. The American invasion of Iraq was, for example, framed as part of the “global war on terror.” Which right thinking individual or country can refrain from supporting this holy war? That frame was guiding the discussion so powerfully that those who questioned the wisdom of invading a country without adequate evidence of wrong doing were easily brushed aside. Those who suggested that perhaps the American love for oil might be an important factor in this invasion were laughed out of op-ed pages of newspapers.

The overwhelming power of smart framing was evident in the recent protests led by Anna Hazare against corruption. The government and the Parliament lost the game completely because the issue was framed as a fight between the people of India and the corrupt government.  It captured the imagination of a large number of people, young and old, educated and uneducated, all over the country. But this is no foreign government imposing its will on an enslaved population. This government and the parliament consist of representatives duly elected by the people of this country.  They represent the masses far more authentically than a small band of self-appointed members of “civil society.” However, Hazare’s version of the Lokpal bill was framed as Jan Lokpal bill and when it was introduced in Parliament, it was declared by the media as “people’s victory.”

Major changes initiated by the leadership in some organisations fail to excite many employees because of poor or no framing.  Employees don’t do things they are asked to because they don’t see why they should. Or they comply reluctantly merely because of penalties. Poor framing is the villain.

If Anna Hazare can unite millions of Indians with wildly diverging views and goals through brilliant framing, why shouldn’t corporate leaders do so with their employees?

Photo credit: www.adsavvy.org