Does The Frame Make It Art?

“Art consists of limitation. The most beautiful part of every picture is the frame.” – Gilbert Chesterton.

Obviously this 20th century writer did not have the pleasure of working with a sales-focused organization, where the mantra “Perception is reality,” reigns supreme.

Some think in black and white, yes and no – and some do not. (For those who haven’t heard this zinger thrown your way – it’s always refreshing when someone bestows you with this little pearl of wisdom, by the way!)

Are you a sales person, or do you solve customer problems? Are you a receptionist, or are you the first and last face a customer sees when they visit your office? Am I an IT guy, or a business guy who solves problems by applying technology to achieve business goals?

I think Chesterton hit upon something perhaps systemic to the human condition – a frequent inability to understand concepts outside our own frame of reference.

The question you should be asking is not why they don’t see me the way I want to be perceived. Rather you should be asking, “Am I delivering the most value to my customer or employer if they only see me as a [insert label here]?”

Perhaps these sales-minded individuals – or more generally – socially-tuned individuals, might have figured something out:

Don’t try to force someone out of their frame of reference (even if they are wrong). Instead, reframe yourself using their perceptions and you might discover that instead of being a convenient label, you have become a piece of art.

Image courtesy of Hamed Masoumi.

Ken Stewart’s website, ChangeForge, focuses on the collision between the constantly changing worlds of business and technology in an information-centric world. Ken serves on the board of the new Managed Print Services Association, an international industry organization seeking worldwide best practices for the managed print services industry. He is also the founder of Seeking the Son. He is always interested in connecting with you.