by Jennifer Jarratt & John B. Mahaffie
ABSTRACT
How can futurists use reframing to get through to their clients? New ideas cannot easily take hold in people’s minds without replacing or changing the ideas already there. That means futurists face a challenge in trying to get new ideas through to people. The challenge is to understand the narratives, the biases, the hopes and the fears-and to construct new narratives and framings that can take hold. George Lakoff, in The Political Mind, explains framing and its centrality. Drawing on his insights and our work with clients, we take a fresh look at what framing and reframing mean to the work futurists do for business, government, and non-profits.