Framework (What)

A framework is a structured guideline for succeeding at something that is contextual, nuanced, complex, and generally considered hard to do.

Examples of Frameworks

• A framework for critical thinking provides a structured approach for

  • Deciding what is true and what is not; that is, getting an accurate view of reality.
  • Deciding on the best course of action.
  • Justifying or proving decisions.

• A framework for writing a great story gives one a systematic way to create stories that audiences love.

• A framework for playing poker gives a systematic way to tilt the odds and thereby win more money than you lose; perhaps win a great deal of money.

• A framework for fly fishing in rivers gives you a way to maximize your fishing experiences: biggest fish caught, most fish caught, best practices for ensuring the health of the fish and the environment, most enjoyment, and so on.

Rationale

Here are some reasons why skill with frameworks is worthwhile.

1. Have a path to success for things that are hard to succeed at.

2. When you have a special skill like writing great music, share your methods with others so that their compositions are better.

3. Make something better. Improve. Here are some examples.

   1. Become better at critical thinking.
   2. Become better at persuading.
   3. Become better at leading.
   4. Become better at writing high-quality computer code.

4. Be more effective when you teach.

Here are some objections to frameworks.

1. Some things cannot be taught. For example, some people are naturally good at writing fiction, and you cannot create a framework that lacks this innate talent. Rebuttal: People write well because they learned how to do this. Others can learn the same things if the process is broken down, and if the person learns using Deliberate Practice.

2. Some things are too hard to capture with a framework. Rebuttal: All frameworks describe actions that people take. Actions can be described. Thus, when something involves multiple complex actions, these can be described.

3. I tried a framework and it didn’t work. Rebuttal: Frameworks don’t work on the first, second, or third try. Instead, frameworks require many repetitions, at least for me, to get them to start working and providing value to me.

Framework (How to Use)

• Find a good framework.
• Understand it deeply.
• Be flexible because a framework is a guideline; not a step-by-step must-do list.
• Adopt it; that is, do what it says.
  • Have patience because it may take multiple reps for the framework to work for you.
  • If you have a mentor, ask them questions as needed.
• Adapt it so that it better serves your context.

Framework (How to Create)

• Skim as many existing frameworks as you can.
  • Find patterns. What do they have in common?
• Observe experts and pay attention to what they do; their actions.
  • Often, experts lack declarative knowledge, so focus on observing actions.
• Observe yourself and pay attention to what works and what does not.
• Write down your framework using words, images, and so on.
  • Do this quickly.
• Use your framework for its intended purpose and then improve it.

Framework (How to Improve)

• Use the framework for its intended purpose
  • Be metacognitive.
  • Be mindful.
• Improve the framework on an ongoing basis by RT (Reflective Thinking)
  • Strengths: Write down 1 to 3 elements of the framework that help.
  • Improvements: Identify the most useful concern to address and then alter the framework to address this. Make one improvement.
• On an ongoing basis, continually be skimming other frameworks and borrowing ideas.

Quality in a Framework

• It works for its intended purpose.
  • It gets the intended results (it is valid).
  • It works for many different actors (it is reliable).
• It works in many contexts (generalizable).
• Simple as possible.
• Clear; no ambiguity in what to do.