Positive Framing

A basic principle in successful communication is called "positive framing." It's closely related to the idea that it's not so much what you say, it's how you say it. Positive framing recognizes that people are more receptive to positive statements than they are to negative thoughts. Therefore, you have the best chance of people listening to you and agreeing with you when you present things in a positive way. And almost anything you say can be be put in a positive perspective and communicated with a positive tone.

For years, to encourage people to sit up front in a class, I would post a note on the board before people arrived for the first class session. The note would say something like: “Please don’t sit in the back two rows.” Not very positive.

These days, I post a different message saying something like : Please join us by sitting in the first three rows.” Isn't that much more positive?

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