The Political Frame
It All Begins Here
What is the Political Frame?
“The political frame views organizations through the lens of power dynamics and resource allocation” (Mathews, 2024). In this framework, there are competitions for group or leadership favor, trust among other team members, and other forms of Ethos-driven language, where the interpersonal relationships are the most important aspect of “winning” in this framework. This frame works especially well in organizations that value the “team bond” and interpersonal growth within the group setting- organizations such as marketing firms, public relations, law, and (of course) politics and government employ this framework. Not only do these specific fields use this framework, but the Political Frame is also used heavily in the business world, especially sales, where competition is high. Certain organizations and industry culture create the necessity for the Political Frame, such as the good favor of competitor being used in order to push a different competitor out of the running, or a sales representative using the frame to “wine and dine” a client in order to win the interpersonal relationship — and ultimately, the project or sale as a whole.
Reflection
After learning about the Political Frame, I have learned about the importance of introspection prior to action. The Political Frame employs the use of understanding motives and relationships as performance indicators prior to action, meaning that it is important understand your allies and opponents before making decisions on how to proceed relationally. I have learned that this frame is incredibly useful in situations related to Trader Joe’s, especially within processes that involve sensitive subjects or situations regarding multiple individuals within the store setting. I hope to use the Political Framework in the future as a means to create and manage relationships within an organization for the purpose of guiding meaning-making and cultural processes.
Reference
Mathews, S. (2024). The Political Frame of Leadership. Leading Sapiens. https://www.leadingsapiens.com/political-frame-of-leadership/