You've been framed.

You walked in ready. You knew what you wanted to say, how you wanted to say it, and what outcome you were after.

Then the other person opened up and set the context. They named the problem. They chose what was really on the table today.

Not in an aggressive way. They just took the initiative. 

And just like that, you were inside their frame. Responding to their agenda. Having a conversation you hadn't planned on having.

It happens quickly, doesn’t it? The first 30 seconds, even. How we begin our meetings is a moment of truth for many of us.

I'm running a framing session this week for commercial professionals. One thing I'll be working on with them: we don’t just prepare the message, we prepare the person for the message. And that’s where framing comes in. 

What's the most common framing mistake you see in tricky conversations?