How To Frame Your Ideas So They Are Heard
You've done the work on an idea but it doesn't get the buy-in you need. Here are two proven ways to reframe your approach.
Client: I’ve been working on a proposal for many weeks. I spent time talking to customers, gathering data, and doing the pros/cons analysis for the best path forward. When I presented my recommendation to my stakeholders, they said: “No, we don’t like this new idea. It’s a big change.” But then, the following week, a coworker presented the same idea in another conversation, and it got the green light. Now it’s his idea. What do I need to do differently?
Same idea, different approach, different results: how you approach and frame a conversation makes the difference. Across 15+ years in product leadership and after working with hundreds of clients, I’ve seen better framing change hiring outcomes, land “impossible” project investment, and align warring functions against a shared goal.
Sometimes people will chalk up the difference to gender or racial biases or a lack of authority. Yes, these play a part. And in these cases, working on the framing and approach is even more critical. How can you play these biases to your advantage? What do you need to highlight to pre-empt the bias?
Often, we spend 90% of the time on the information gathering, the analysis, and the deep thinking. Then, with the remaining 10%, we rush the framing and run to discussions to get buy-in. When I joined Meta, I was shocked at how much time was spent framing a decision. It was the same data and research, and core arguments. However, as the document went up the layers of leadership for review, the framing was carefully scrutinized, fiercely debated, and rewritten. Directors and VPs at the 11th hour will make suggestions on how the decision was framed and the story the data and research told. Reviews will get pushed out and rescheduled if a senior leader feels the framing is not right yet. And it made all the difference.
You may have a great product (proposal). But you need to get the messaging right with your potential customers (the framing). Here are two of my go-to tactics to reframe my arguments so that they resonate with the audience.
“Here Is How It Solves Your Problem.”
When we present a proposal or idea, we often start the conversation with our perspective and what we need.
“I’m an engineering leader. This is a proposal for more infrastructure investment.”
“I’m a program manager, and here’s my proposal for a new efficiency program.”
“I’m a salesperson. I need to close this contract with a new customer before the end of the quarter.”
They don’t care what you need. People are busy, and they have a lot to do.
Instead, lead with how it solves their problem. How does it get them closer to their goals? What benefits do they get out of supporting your needs? What’s in it for them? Lead with the win for them, and then explain how it can happen.
“I know it’s been taking a long time to ship new features, and it’s slowing down your team. I have an idea for speeding up development time by 50%”.
I know that you have customer deals pending this feature release. Here’s an idea for how we can get you those deals sooner.
I have an idea that can speed up these recurring manual tasks on your team by 20%.
When you lead with what’s in it for them, they are much more likely to at least listen to what needs to be done. It also avoids putting the other person on the defensive — I’m not doing anything wrong, why do I need to change? If it’s something that they also want, then they’ll also be more open to improving the idea together.
There may not always be a direct benefit for the other person. However, there is almost always a benefit to the company (otherwise, why are you doing this work?). Lead with the company impact when the personal impact is not there. At the end of the day, if the company benefits and does well, then the people working for the company will also benefit.
“This Is Good. And Here Is An Even Better Approach.”
Sometimes, we agree with the problem at hand but disagree with the approach. The proposal is path A, while we prefer path B. Our default is often to articulate the reasons path A doesn’t work:
“We will lose customer data to a 3rd party and potential competitor”
“It would take too long to build this.”
“There are legality challenges with in Europe.”
In this case, framing your argument for path B around why path A doesn’t work is usually not the most effective. It puts the other person on the defensive and does not provide a path forward. Instead, frame the argument around why path B is better.
“Path B ensure we hold on the valuable customer data.”
“Path B allows us to get a prototype out faster.”
“Path B is legal in all our core markets globally.”
It’s the same argument, just reframed in the positive in support of the alternative. Rather than saying “this doesn’t work”, you are saying: “let’s try this instead, and here’s why”. This approach moves the conversation forward.
Growing from a manager to a leader to an executive requires getting better at convincing others to adopt your approach and ideas. It’s not enough to rely on authority, mandates, or pure logic. Instead, relationship-building, empathy, and curiosity are critical tools that help you establish credibility as a leader. Spend the time learning how to successfully “sell” your ideas in your organization, and you’ll see your career trajectory trend upwards quickly!
That’s all folks! See you next week at 3:14 pm.
Yue
Yue’s Coaching Corner
Want to improve your framing and communication further? Check out my Maven Course: Master Executive Presence & Communication with GenAI. The next cohort starts in two weeks on June 9, 2025. Learn more here.
Get 20% off by becoming a paid subscriber to this newsletter!
Get a free preview of the content in the course: Nailing Executive Communication with GenAI.
Interested in executive coaching with me to accelerate your career? I’m taking on 2 new clients starting mid-June. Book a free intro call here. Minimum 6 months commitment.
“Here Is How It Solves Your Problem.”
At this point, it almost feels like every conversation we're leading in a work setting should be kicking off with laying this out up front. It can be quite the hook for trust and red flag removal.