Sources of Insight

Better Insights, Better Results

Project Management

How Framing the Problem Helps You Focus and Prioritize on What’s Important

At Microsoft, we use the term “frame” or “framing a problem” in the context of project management. You might hear somebody ask, “what’s the frame?” or “how have you framed the problem?” A Frame is simply a way to partition a problem. The heart of a frame is coming up with a context to understand the dimensions that matter and figure out how to prioritize and scope. I use frames a lot here on Sources of Insight to chunk bigger problems down, as well as to organize and share information. It's a lens.

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The Influencer Change Framework–The Power to Change Anything

I have the privilege of taking some extreme training on influence. It's a pilot class based on the book, Influencer: The Power to Change Anything. Influence is about changing hearts, minds, and behavior to produce meaningful, sustainable results. The beauty of the model is that it scales up and down from personal life style changes, such as losing weight, to global changes, such as eliminating diseases. I like it because it's a simple lens to look at those persistent problems where change seems impossible. Rather than bump your head against a glass ceiling or spin your wheels without traction, it's a systematic approach to diagnose and implement change.

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Monday Vision, Daily Outcomes, Friday Reflection

This is the heart of my results system. It's a pattern I call Monday Vision, Daily Outcomes, Friday Reflection. It's probably the single most important thing I teach everyone I mentor. It's the same approach I use to lead myself and my teams. It's a way to help set yourself up for success each day. It's also a way to keep learning and growing. It's simple, but it's powerful. In fact, it's power is its simplicity

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