You're Focused on the Wrong Problem

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You’re not seeing reality.
You’re seeing frames.

And under pressure, the first frame usually wins, whether it’s right or not.

That’s the trap of what psychologists call the framing effect — a bias where decisions are shaped by how information is presented, not by the facts themselves.

• Frame a choice as a potential loss, and people suddenly take risks.

• Frame the same choice as a potential gain, and the very same people avoid it.

The data doesn’t change.
The reaction does.

That’s the theory.
But here’s the real problem for experts and leaders:

In high-stakes situations, the first frame presented doesn’t just shape how individuals respond.

It often defines the entire conversation, steering smart teams toward the wrong problem before anyone realizes what happened.

I saw this play out once in a crisis response meeting.

A senior leader said, “The root cause is supply chain delay.”

Heads nodded.
The room shifted instantly into solution mode.

But later, a junior analyst asked me: “What if the problem isn’t supply chain at all? What if it’s contamination at the source?”

She was right.
But because the first frame dominated, the team lost two days chasing the wrong problem.

That’s the hidden cost of the framing effect: once a frame takes hold, better options close.

And in high-pressure moments, that loss of time and trust is far more damaging than a single wrong answer.

The Reframe Question

When you sense the room has narrowed around the first story, don’t say, “That’s wrong.”

Instead, ask: “What other explanations might also fit the facts we’re seeing?”

This simple question does three things:

• Disrupts lock-in without confrontation.

• Invites alternatives without forcing them.

• Shifts the group from defending a narrative to exploring options.

Here are a few other useful variations:

• “If we weren’t assuming X, what else might explain this?”

• “What’s the opposite interpretation—and what evidence would support it?”

• “What decision would we make if this frame turned out to be false?”

These aren’t tricks.
They’re tools to break the lock-in and widen the lens.

The 3-Step Reframe Script to help you consistently reframe

1. Agree, then unsettle

2. Flip it upside down

3. Bring in an outsider

Let’s get it…

1. Agree, then unsettle

Say: “That makes sense… but what other explanations might also fit the facts we’re seeing?”

• Do: Show you’ve heard the first idea before adding another angle.

• Don’t: Start with “I disagree…” It makes people defensive.

2. Flip it upside down

Ask: “What’s the opposite way to see this, and how would that change what we do?”

• Do: Push the group to consider what they’d normally overlook.

• Don’t: Let it drift into theory. Connect it back to the real decision.

3. Bring in an outsider

Ask: “If a client, competitor, or critic were here, how would they frame this?”

• Do: Pick an outsider that matters to the situation.

• Don’t: Use it as a way to assign blame.

POLL

In Case You Missed It!

• The Decision Accelerator: Make Better Decisions in Minutes—Not Days.

• Grab your Pocket Guide to Impromptu Conversations
  (Essential questions and cues to connect quickly—without sounding rehearsed)

• Transform small talk into deeper connections with proven conversation strategies

The Bottom Line

The framing trap isn’t just a theory from psychology textbooks.

It’s what makes smart teams chase the wrong problems, waste time, and lose trust.

And the way out isn’t to have the cleverest answer.
It’s to ask the kind of question that reopens the conversation.

Because under pressure, influence doesn’t come from speed or certainty.

It comes from helping others see what they’ve stopped seeing.

Next time the room locks in too quickly, pause—and reframe.

Thanks for reading. Be easy!
Girvin