Top 3 NLP Framing Techniques for Business

The concept of “framing” in neurolinguistic programming (NLP) is designed to establish constraints around particular situations, ideas, discussions, or behaviors. In a way, frames in NLP are similar to identifying the context of a topic in a conversation; In both cases, the desired outcome is to establish some unspoken guidelines about the “what, when, who, how, and why” components of our communication.

For business leaders, the purpose of using Frames is to help direct the attention or focus of the person / group and influence how events will be interpreted. A common example of framing is what people call a “time frame” – setting a time frame for a meeting will often determine the type of communication that occurs. For example, a 30-minute meeting will be more goal-oriented with less time for group discussion and input than a 3-hour meeting covering the same agenda.

1. Relevance framework

   The relevance framework (also known as the relevance challenge) is specifically designed to help communication flow in the right direction. You can keep a person / group focused on the right topic by asking questions about how your comment, statement, or question is relevant to the current purpose of the meeting or interaction. Some examples can be:

   • “How does that relate to the problems we are seeing now?” gold
   • “How does that relate to the issue at hand?”
2. Framework of the agreement

   People like to be recognized for their contributions and one of the best ways to reduce resistance when it comes to people is to start with the Agreement Framework. This is a way of redirecting a person’s argumentative energy rather than trying to overcome it. In the process, the subject will feel validated in their own opinion, belief, or value, while offering them a new point of reference. Common language patterns used by the agreement framework include statements such as;

   • “I appreciate where you come from, and what we need to see now is …” or
   • “I respect what you’re saying here, and our goal now should be to look …” or
   • “I agree that from their point of view this is valid, so what we might want to focus on is …” or
   • “He’s right, in his experience that is exactly the case, and to solve this we have to focus on …”

   Avoiding resistance from others keeps everyone involved in what is being said and leaves them open to new ideas. With this in mind, you want to avoid using words that deny what they have said, such as “but” and “however.” These words will negate the value of everything that is said immediately before them, so removing those words from communication as much as possible goes a long way toward overcoming common resistance in others.

3. Evidence framework

   This style of framing is about identifying a person’s “Evidence Procedures”: the observable evidence that a person uses to define whether or not a goal has been achieved (using specific sensory language that describes what they will see, hear and feel when you want the result is achieved). By asking questions about the evidence, you can gather the necessary information and at the same time help them link their own unconscious expectations of the end results. Questions like;

   • “Do you have anything you specifically want to include in that discussion?” gold
   • “What exactly will all of that look like when we’re done?”

   Asking for information like that will also ensure that everyone’s perception of what to expect is online, which is far more helpful than everyone just trying to do things their own way.

From a NLP point of view, framing is a very important part of the communication process. Establishing clear frameworks, such as pre-marking the expected outcomes of a meeting before starting, will help people establish mental cues on how they interpret messages and behaviors, as well as how they interact and provide information.

Whenever a person has an unclear framework of what is happening, what is going to happen or what is expected of them, it is easier for them to feel unnecessarily confused, fearful and resistant, ultimately increasing the chances of miscommunication. and misunderstandings.