In my previous post on accentuating the positive, I referenced an approach called Asset Framing, developed by Trabian Shorters. I wanted to say a bit more about that approach. Shorters noticed that many nonprofits and foundations focus on talking about the problems facing the people they are working to help and support.

It's common to see language like "At risk youth are more likely to drop out of school... " or "X group of people have poorer health outcomes than... ". I have written sentences like this many times.

Of course the intention with this is a good one - to focus on an important problem, so the audience understands how severe it is, and hopefully then decides to support the organization's work to resolve the problem. The trouble with this, is that by focusing first on the challenges facing a particular group of people, or the disparities between the conditions they face and those of others, you associate the problem with that group of people.

Asset Framing says we should start by focusing on the positive qualities of the people we are working with, or trying to help or support.

It conveys them as lacking, perhaps to be pitied. It separates 'them' from 'us' -- 'we' are not like that - so it perhaps evokes sympathy or pity, but not empathy. While it's well meaning, it is in fact stigmatizing and de-humanising.

 Asset Framing offers a solution to this. It says we should start by focusing on the positive qualities of the people we are working with, or trying to help or support. We should first talk about their dreams and aspirations and the contributions they make or would like to make. Only then talk about what is standing in the way of their aspirations, and finally show how the work our organisations do to help remove those barriers by investing in people so that they can make their contribution to the benefit of society.

In this way, we evoke empathy and identification of our audiences with the particular group of people, and locate the problem within a system, or law, or practice that is harming them, rather than associating the problem with the people. Shorters offers some clear steps for how to go about doing this:

• Think about what you love about the group/s of people you work with.
• What do they yearn earn, learn, work, lead, seek, strive, aspire to do?
• What - systematically - threatens them or their aspirations?
• What does your organisation do to help fulfil their aspirations and maximise their contributions?

You can read more about Asset Framing at trabianshorters.com.

Image credit: PickPik