Report ‘reframes’ evidence and data
Business psychologist and senior partner and cofounder of Pearn Kandola
“REFRAMING is a way of re-thinking a particular problem to help reduce anxiety. It’s a useful way of being able to examine whether your worries about a particular event are justifiable and realistic.
“For example, if you give a talk and you are worried that if it doesn’t go well you will lose your job, then you won’t be able to pay your mortgage and then you’ll be homeless. Reframing enables you to examine those thought patterns and to identify whether the catastrophe you imagine might occur is, in any way, remotely possible.
“Reframing is also helpful when examining specific problems in organisations. If you have people who have different perspectives on an issue, exploring and understanding these can help us overcome the blind spots that each of us have.
“In many ways, the report that has been produced is the biggest reframing exercise I have ever come across. It is attempting to say that our views about race and racism in British society are unhelpful, hyperbolic and a hindrance to progress. In itself a reframing exercise like this could be helpful – it could shine a light on current paradigms and provide alternative perspectives and potential solutions.
“This can only happen, however, if we all understand the dataset we are dealing with. Optimists may see a glass as half full while pessimists see it as half empty. However, both camps agree about the volume of liquid that is contained in the glass but differ in the interpretation.
“In this particular instance, it seems that they have ignored any information and data which doesn’t point to the conclusion they want. Rather than shedding light on current ways of thinking, the commission has sadly demonstrated its own biases and lack of concern for facts and evidence.
“The commission gives the impression that it had formulated its conclusions before any data had been gathered. Rather than being an independent investigation, it seems to be more the case of not letting the facts get in the way of a good story.”