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Steve Jobs: The Master Reframer

Everyone knows the famous Mona Lisa painting, especially with the great debate about her smile ... or lack thereof? (cue the thinking emoji) So, people from all around the world flock to the Louvre just to get a glimpse of her in her stately manner and antique frame.

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But what would happen if the famous Mona Lisa had a bright pink frame from the local craft store rather than its current frame? Would the subject appear any different?

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When something is reframed, the perception, behavior, and results change. Especially when solving problems, reframing is a KEY how-to step in order to look at the same problem from a different angle. When our perception changes, we can behave differently to make a decision and have a different result. That's exactly what Steve Jobs did when he saved Apple, back in the late '90s.

“The cure for Apple is to innovate its way
out of its predicament; not cost-cutting.”

These bold words were spoken by Steve Jobs in 1997, when his beloved company, Apple, was about to go bankrupt.

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At that time, Microsoft was Apple’s greatest competitor, and instead of competing with them, Steve Jobs reframed the challenge. He thought about how they could help him—talk about total reframe! In the end, Apple got an insane investment and a 5-year commitment from Bill Gates himself.

Jobs continued reframing every problem Apple faced, launching campaigns like “Think Different.” And instead of modern celebrities to endorse their new lollipop-colored computers, Apple had 3 dead guys as their examples of innovation and inspiration: Gandhi, Einstein, and Disney. Talk about true innovation, which is how the Jedi Master of Reframing, Steve Jobs, made Apple what it is today.

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Do you use reframing to solve problems and make fearless decisions like Steve Jobs and other great innovators throughout history? Or, do you stay stuck in the same old rut, trying to use the same old methods to solve the same old problems? If so, how's that working out for you?

Imagine being able to reframe every problem to not only generate new ideas and approaches, but to actually find a solution faster—a solution that solves the problem not just for the time being, but has a longterm impact. How would you feel if you could do that?

Well, good news is that there's an easy way to get started, and I'll share it with you.

Sticky Tip Here's one way you can reframe any problem RIGHT NOW:

Ask yourself the 5 WHYs.

First ask: “Why am I doing this?” Imagine the answer is abc.

Second, ask: “Why abc?” Assume the answer is 123.

Third, ask: “Why 123?” If the answer is efg, ask the fourth why question, “Why efg?”

And naturally, ask the fifth why question based on the previous answer. The graphic below gives a great illustration of how this works.

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Problem-Solving and Fearless Decision-Making is something we teach at Sticky Steps, and no matter what industry you're in, this is an essential skill for everyone. In our course, we address reframing when talking about reflective problem-solving, where you have more time to make a decision rather than a snap judgement.

See for yourself what we teach about reframing in our highly rated Udemy course by clicking HERE. I've got lots more to share, so watch this space for more Sticky Tips and other helpful how-tos to make your workday that much better.

Do YOU reframe? If so, tell me HOW you reframe by leaving a comment!

And don't forget to #MakeItHappen