My Framework

In the last two posts, I have discussed my feelings about frameworks, and it’s pretty clear I think they’re a lot of marketing gloss and not terribly effective.

That being said, there are instances where frameworks can be helpful.  

1.    I have already mentioned they are useful as a type of checklist, to make sure key ideas are not forgotten during problem-solving and implementation.

2.    And they can be extremely beneficial for holding your key values near and dear.

Over the years, while I have been reticent to publish any trademarked framework or to refer my clients to any off-the-shelf solution, I have gathered information, research, and experience that shapes my values in how I believe I can effectively help my clients.  And these values and beliefs form a kind of behind-the-scenes framework for how I do my work – as well as to what work I do.

In case you’re interested in my insight, here’s what I believe:  We are all people who deserve to be treated with fairness and dignity in the workplace.  We all have areas of strength and of weakness as well as things we like to do and things we don’t.  None of us is perfect or infallible; we will all struggle, and we can all benefit from the right mix of challenge and support – as long as we have the appropriate resources.  We all have room to grow.

 In order to be successful, I strongly support the motivational insights Daniel Pink brought to light in Drive.  1) Workers want to succeed; we strive for mastery, to learn and to be challenged, to experience flow, to improve (and be recognized for that) over time.  2)  Employees desire a certain amount of autonomy; we don’t like to be micromanaged nor left to flounder with no idea of what’s expected.  3) Teams yearn to contribute to something larger than themselves; we want to know how our work fits into the bigger picture – of what the company is doing or of how we can impact the world for the better.  4) None of us want to do this alone; even the most introverted of us seek to work with others, to belong to a like-minded community, to learn from others, to bounce ideas off others, and to be supported by a strong network.

In my blog, you will hear me talk about all these topics as well as many more.  Be assured, they all fit into my larger mental framework – which is still evolving and changing as I too continue to learn and grow.