Reframing is a useful technique to deliberately derail our entrenched thinking patterns and flows, so as to enable us to see a given situation from alternative perspectives.
Dev Patnaik documented three kinds of reframes:
- Step out of your own perspective and see the world as it sees itself. (Walk in someone else’s shoes)
- See the world in a way that’s completely different from anyone else. (Read between the lines too see patterns)
- Reframe the way you solve a problem. (Do it differently)
Reframe types 1 and 2 “focus on empathy, understanding how other people view the world, both explicitly and implicitly.” Reframe type 3 “relies equally on creativity and empathy.”
Clearly empathy (the ability to see things from other perspectives, even when we don’t agree with these perspectives!) is a core ingredient of successful reframing.
From Wired to Care by Dev Paitnaik with Peter Mortensen. ISBN 0-13-714234-X.
