I like art, but I’m the first one to tell you that I’m not very good at it. I don’t know all the famous painters, or the differences in brush-stroke styles, but I have learned recently that the frame they put the artwork into matters just as much as the artwork itself. Different frames will enhance, complement or even contrast different aspects of the artwork, depending on what the artist wants to highlight.
I was reminded of this concept one night while watching the news. A politician was on the air for an interview (don’t worry, I’m not about to get political), but their discussion was about the ongoing concerns with China. This politician started talking about how he was concerned with the way the conversation around China was being framed. He said, “When you frame something a certain way, it dictates the tools you will have at your disposal to fix the problem.” What he was saying is that by only framing issues from one narrative, we rob ourselves of the ability to see the full spectrum of solutions and then limit the tools we can use to fix the problems.
All political divide aside, what he said was profound. The way we frame our challenges defines the tools we can use to solve them. How are you framing your business challenges right now? How are you framing your personal issues?
Are you framing them in such a way that they’re stealing joy from your life? Perhaps like they’re a distraction and they’re draining your energy and your resources? What tools do you have at your disposal when you frame your challenges like this? What tools don’t you have? More importantly, what tools do you wish you had?
So, how can we reframe our challenges?
- Find the opportunity buried in this challenge.
- Recognize that challenges are a natural part of any profession and view them as opportunities for personal and professional growth.
- Realize that the real estate industry is dynamic, and challenges are often a result of market fluctuations or shifts in client demands.
When we phrase our problems as “challenges,” that changes our perspective on them, doesn’t it? Framing challenges as a search for opportunity also changes our perspective and creates new tools you can use to take your business in a new (and unexpected) direction. A difficult negotiation can lead to a stronger skillset, a slow market can provide time for professional development, and a demanding client can teach you valuable lessons in customer service. Just like choosing the frame for a piece of art, how we choose to frame our challenges is just as important as the challenge itself.
Darryl Davis has trained and coached more than 100,000 agents globally. He is a best-selling author of “How to Become a Power Agent® in Real Estate,” which tops Amazon’s charts for most-sold book to real estate agents. Davis hosts a weekly webinar to help agents succeed in changing times.
