Fractionation, framing, refraining, and finding common ground are skills that have uses outside of interpersonal communication, for example, these principals may help a manager re-tool the mechanics of a lackluster sales division.
First, identifying and isolating the individual components of a failing organization by way of fractionation. Framing the real issue (say a faltering economy) as the prime cause behind the need for restructuring, without pointing the finger at any one particular person or groups of people. Framing is closely related to refraining, in other words, it is avoiding placing undo blame or unfair accusations on those who you need to maintain a working relationship with. If the reason your sales are down is because the accounting team mismanaged the books, the issue must be addressed in a way that is non-accusatory and open-minded. Unless you plan to get rid of the accounting division entirely, the focus of your mediation should be upon how to better ourselves so mistakes like these wont happen again in the future.
-Ben
I liked how you explained the concepts of fractionation, framing, reframing and common ground using an easily understandable context.
ReplyDeleteAn organization that is failing tends to have various reasons behind the failure, and using fractionation to break these reasons down into manageable units makes a turn-around of the organization much easier for management and employees to imagine.
Framing the issue as economy-related would probably make employees more willing to adapt to management-required changes than if accusing fingers were pointed at the employees.
Reframing negative statements about mismanagement of the books into more positive statements would be helpful in keeping employees from getting defensive and hopefully would make them more willing to learn and make any necessary changes.
Perhaps the manager could find common ground with the employees by prefacing statements of the need to learn how to better manage the books by saying he or she has also had difficulty in the past with managing books.