During times of change, managers and employees have to navigate multiple challenges—tight deadlines, shifting priorities, and unexpected roadblocks. In these moments, how can leaders keep their teams motivated, engaged, and focused on solutions rather than obstacles?
The Challenge
Imagine a team working on a project of strategic importance with a looming deadline, only to find out that a key resource is unavailable. Frustration sets in as team members voice concerns: “We are never going to finish on time,” or “This always happens—we do not have the support we need.” The focus shifts to what is going wrong, and morale starts to drop. But what if, instead of dwelling on obstacles, you could guide your team to see what is possible?
Strategize
Reframing is a simple yet powerful technique that when leveraged in support of organizational change shifts perspective, transforming problems into opportunities. Instead of viewing challenges as barriers, teams learn to see them as chances to innovate, collaborate, and improve. The way a problem is framed directly impacts motivation, engagement, and problem-solving.
When managers and employees reframe challenges, they:
- Focus on solutions – Redirecting discussions from “why this will not work” to “how can we make this work?”
- Reduce resistance to change – Framing new initiatives as opportunities rather than disruptions helps teams embrace them.
- Encourage collaboration – Shifting from blame to shared problem-solving fosters stronger teamwork.
- Build a growth mindset – Seeing challenges as learning experiences strengthens resilience and adaptability.
Take a real-world example: A company introduces a new remote work policy requiring employees to be in the office twice a week. Employees push back: “This is inconvenient and disrupts our workflow.” Tension builds, and discussions stall.
Now, let’s reframe: “How can we structure in-office days to make them as productive and valuable as possible?” Instead of debating the policy itself, the team can focus on optimizing in-person time for collaboration, team-building, and essential meetings, ensuring that office days are beneficial rather than disruptive.
Dig Deeper
How can you apply reframing in everyday conversations? Here are several techniques that you can try today:
Transform problems into actionable questions to shift the team’s focus from frustration to problem-solving.
- Instead of: “We do not have enough time to meet the deadline.”
- Try: “What steps can we take to prioritize and meet the deadline effectively?”
Encourage teamwork instead of assigning blame to promote cooperation rather than division
- Instead of: “No one ever listens to our concerns.”
- Try: “How can we effectively communicate our concerns and work together on solutions?”
Turn resistance into curiosity to welcome innovation
- Instead of: “We have never done this before, so it will not work.”
- Try: “What can we learn from testing this approach on a small scale?”
Focus on growth instead of setbacks to build momentum and motivation
- Instead of: “There is much resistance to this change.”
- Try: “What lessons can we apply to continue to gain buy-in to this change?”
Take Action
To integrate reframing into your change leadership style, start by asking forward-thinking questions that encourage new perspectives, such as, “How else can we look at this?” Model reframing in your own language by shifting discussions toward possibilities rather than limitations. Foster a culture of solution-oriented thinking by encouraging your team to replace “we cannot” with “how can we?” to promote a proactive mindset. Additionally, practice reframing in team meetings by having employees restate challenges as opportunities, reinforcing a problem-solving approach that drives progress and innovation.
