- Maje
There are four different frames outlined in this course that can help effectively understand the dynamics in an
organization and act accordingly. Reframing Organizations notes, “a frame is a mental model- a set of ideas
and assumptions- that you carry in your head to help understand and negotiate a particular “territory” (Bolman
& Deal, 2017, p. 12). The frames include structural, human resource, political, and symbolic. An effective
leader can use these four frames to attune structure to task, technology, and environment, align organization
and human needs, develop agenda and power base, and create faith, belief, beauty, and meaning (Bolman &
Deal, 2017).
The video “Abbott & Costello Who’s On First” displayed what can happen because of different interpretations
and misunderstandings. While it was a funny bit, miscommunication and misunderstanding can be time
consuming. The story could have been brief and to the point, but instead, the two of them went around in
circles trying to understand each other. This poorly communicated situation caused frustration, confusion, and
uncertainty. Though it is something to laugh at in this example, those feelings in organizations can poorly
impact productivity.
Looking at a conflict or situation from multiple frames could help with decision-making. According to Small
Business Chronicle, without having different frames or perspectives, it can cause issues in the decision-making
process like information overload, or a lack of communication, miscalculation of a problem, or acting too quickly
(Meier, 2020). Effective leaders and corporations use and need multiple perspectives in developing a holistic
picture of complex systems (Bolman & Deal, 2017).
References
Bolman, L., & Deal, T. (2017). Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership (6th ed.). New York,
NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Meier, K. (2020, September 17). The Impact of Communication on the Decision-Making Process in an
Organization. Retrieved October 03, 2020, from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/impact-communicationdecisionmaking-process-organization-24398.html - Joseph
Abbot and Costello’s stand-up comedy routine “who’s on first” is a classic case of cluelessness and looking at
a situation from different frames. Abbot was clueless to Costello’s frame, meaning he “didn’t know what was
going on, but he thought he did, even though it was not working” (Bolman, 2017). Abbot thought he explained
the names of the baseball players, however he was clueless to understand the way he conveyed the
information was not working. Yet, Abbot continued to believe he was getting the information across, as Costello
accidently named a few players correctly.
Costello’s was using the “structural frame”, which uses traditional images to create a reference point of how the
“work is divided and coordinated” (Bolman, 2017). He very cleverly used the different roles and responsibilities
of the individual baseball players to try and understand the team members names by giving examples.
Abbot started using the “symbolic frame” by stating “players nowadays use very peculiar names, a lot of funny
names you know like stinky”. The symbolic frame can “loosely couple events and actions that have multiple
interpretations, as people experience situations differently” (Bolman, 2017). This was the root of Abbot and
Costello’s communication problem. Was the symbol “who” being used by Abbot a name or was it a pronoun in
a sentence?
In this particular situation, using different frames actually hurt the communication between Abbot and Costello.
You could argue that Abbot was also using the structural frame, when he outlined the different positions of the
baseball team. However, Abbot was not clear, when he used the symbolic frame. “what is most important in a
symbolic frame is not what happens, but what is means” (Bolman, 2017). Abbot did not explain what the
symbol meant clearly. He could have very easily stated Mr. John Doe is the first baseman and his player name
is “who”. He could have explained how the player received his name of “who” and what it meant. This would
have immediately established a structural reference point for Costello. However, Abbot was clueless and
continued to use the Symbolic frame to communicate with Costello. Daisy Dowling discusses leaders need
empathy when leading and communicating (Harvard, 2010). She examples leaders need to “understand where
people are coming from, so they have a human connection to understand the people” (Harvard, 2010). Abbot
failed to understand clearly where Costello was coming from and that Costello did not understand.
It is important that both parties are using the same structural frame as the primary reference point to
communicate clearly. It is also important that if more than one frame is used, that empathy be used to
understand the context of why the frame is important and how it is being used.
Bolman, L.G., & Deal, T.E. (2017). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, & leadership (6th ed.). JosseyBass, A Wiley Brand
Dowling, D. (2010). The Crucial Skill for Tomorrow’s Leaders, Insights from Imagining the Future of Leadership.
Harvard Business Publishing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb2PI0LaxGE - Michelle
There is nothing wrong with going a little old school with some Abbot and Costello. I have to admit, that I
watched the following video of the duo for fun. Good classic humor. When we are dealing with managing
organizations, it helps to make light of situations. As organizations have become more prevalent and dominant,
it makes it harder to comprehend and manage. Our text makes the claim that the organizational frames serve
multiple functions. They are sources of new question, filters for sorting essence from trivia, maps that aid
navigation, and tools for solving problems and getting things done (Bolman, p. 23). The four frames, structural,
human resource, political and symbolic frames are all powerful that can assist managers to look at situations
and address issues from different perspectives.
As a manager when it comes to dealing with employees who are feeling unmotivated and not wanting to
commit, instead of going down the same path, it is helpful to go with the human resource or symbolic frame
approach. Both these frames focuses more on the employees needs and would be more beneficial. s If the
problem in the workplace has to deal with misunderstanding around responsibilities and priorities, the manager
should reframe with a more structural emphasis. The structure frame is mainly a task-oriented frame (Scouller,
n.d.). When there is the need for conflict resolution or addressing problems of employees, sometimes with
ulterior motives, the political frame would create the more effective results.
Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (1997). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership (Sixth ed.). San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Scouller, J. (n.d.). Four-Frame Model - Bolman and Deal. Retrieved October 03, 2020, from
https://www.businessballs.com/leadership-models/four-frame-model-bolman-and-deal/
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