The Framing Effect

The Framing Effect – How Cognitive Bias Affects Problem-Solving

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? For centuries, no one has been able to reliably solve that problem. Maybe the issue is that the question leads us astray. What knowledge are we really trying to obtain? The origin of life?
A Painful Lesson in Cognitive Bias
Shortly after I was hired as a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, I took an inventory of the projects being facilitated by the Black Belts and Black Belts-in-training who I supported. To my shock, I discovered that one Black Belt had been leading a team of six other engineers on a project that was still stuck in the first phase of DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) – Define – for 13 months!
As I dug deeper into what had been done on the project, I discovered it was a solution in search of a problem. My boss, a Senior Vice President with more than 20 years of experience, “knew” there was a flaw in one of our products and asked a Black Belt to lead the effort to answer the question about the “flawed” product. The Six Sigma team diligently worked to gather the data that would prove that assertion and lead to a solution to an assumed problem. The only glitch was that after 13 months of weekly meetings gathering and analyzing data, no flaw was discovered. And now I had the thankless task of explaining that to my boss so that we could disband the team.

Undiscovered Bias Can Lead to Disastrous Conclusions
In a recent McKinsey & Company article, the authors described how the framing effect had tragic consequences in the Challenger space shuttle disaster. On the night before the launch, some contract engineers warned about cold temperatures that might affect the O-ring seals in the rocket boosters. They recommended postponing the launch at temperatures below 530F, the coldest temperature at which the O-rings had been tested. NASA held an emergency conference call that night and asked the contractors, “if they had proof that it was unsafe to launch the following day.” They had no such proof.
Had NASA framed the question to a specific condition regarding evidence that the seals would hold below freezing, they would have been told, “No, we’ve never tested the O-rings in such conditions.” And the launch would have likely been postponed until the ambient temperature surrounding the space shuttle was well above freezing.

Preventing the Framing Effect by Eliminating Cognitive Bias
While not all biased questions to problems result in tragedy, they can lead to more time-consuming investigations, false starts, and increased costs. This is where leaders can role model the behaviors needed: asking for constructive dissent from devil’s advocates, regular naysayers, and red-team—blue-team exercises. I have often added to team’s or group’s ground rules, “No unexpressed skepticism,” which not only invites alternative views but makes that an explicit expectation of team members.
The McKinsey article ended with a thought-provoking statement: “A brilliant answer to the wrong question is still the wrong answer.”
Let me ask you two questions.
Baldrige Foundation Releases New 2026 Baldrige Excellence Framework® to Strengthen American Competitiveness
The Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, known as the Baldrige Foundation, on August 13, 2026, released the 2026 Baldrige Excellence Framework® for Business, Nonprofit, and Government organizations.
A Clear Path to Excellence
The 2026 Baldrige Excellence Framework introduces three progressive Maturity Pathways that build on one another, beginning with Establishing, advancing to Developing, and culminating in Maturing:
  • Establishing: Operational Awareness clarifies how work is performed, what stakeholders need, which processes matter most, and what results should be measured.
  • Developing: Process Discipline builds consistency, accountability, and regular use of data to guide decisions and improvement.
  • Maturing: System Integration connects leadership, strategy, customers, organizational intelligence, workforce, operations, and results into a system that learns and improves.
The 2026 Business, Nonprofit, and Government edition is now available. The Education and Health Care editions are planned for fall 2026.
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Institute for Performance Excellence Launches National Assessment Center
The Institute for Performance Excellence announced on August 18, 2026, the launch of the National Assessment Center, a centralized digital platform that gives organizations across the United States and internationally access to more than 350 customizable self-assessments, immediate reporting, and improvement guidance.
The launch brings the new 2026 Baldrige Excellence Framework® into a digital self-assessment environment, completing a long-anticipated effort to make the Framework more accessible and actionable as America’s leading quality and excellence framework. Organizations can gather input from their teams, evaluate organizational maturity, identify strengths and gaps, and prioritize opportunities for improvement.
Organizations, partners, and potential funders can learn more at: www.nationalassessmentcenter.org
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Baldrige Executive Fellows

Now Recruiting: 2027-2028 Fellows Cohort
Availability is limited—apply today to secure your spot! Contact Dawn Bailey for more details.
Join a Community of Visionary Leaders
The Baldrige Executive Fellows Program® is a one-year, leadership development experience for leaders interested in transforming their organizations and capabilities. The program helps leaders emerge with a broader perspective on how to achieve performance excellence for their own organizations, stimulate innovation, and build the knowledge and capabilities necessary for organizational sustainability using the Baldrige Excellence Framework as their guide. Featured in Leadership Excellence, “Peer Learning” explains how Fellows learn and share leadership solutions with national role models and other executives.
Senior Executive Development
As a Baldrige Fellow, you’ll be part of a cohort of leaders across sectors who learn from each other and from winners of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s highest award for organizational performance excellence. Through site visits to these role-model organizations and from interactions with senior executives and your cohort, you’ll establish relationships that will benefit you and your organization now and in the future.
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Baldrige Foundation Welcomes New Chief Operating Officer and Director, Institute for Performance Excellence

 
The Baldrige Foundation is pleased to welcome Paul McAllister and Angela Richardson to its leadership team, bringing new energy, expertise, and a shared commitment to advancing performance excellence.
Paul McAllister, Chief Operating Officer
Paul brings 39 years of leadership, organizational development, training, and operational experience to the Baldrige Foundation. A retired U.S. Army Colonel, he led complex organizations and programs focused on performance excellence, strategic planning, workforce development, and operational readiness. Paul is replacing Jerry Rees, who has been the Chief Operating Officer for eleven years. Jerry will assume the role of Director of Finance.
Angela Richardson, CAE, Director, Institute for Performance Excellence
Angela is an association executive and strategist with more than 20 years of experience leading organizations, working with boards and senior executives, and turning strategy into action. Her career spans association, corporate, and nonprofit environments, where she has served as an Executive Director, led executive communities for Fortune 1000 leaders, managed multimillion-dollar portfolios, and guided membership, revenue, governance, and program strategy.
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Baldrige Foundation Appoints Tom Raffio to the President’s Council for Performance Excellence

The Baldrige Foundation announced on August 25, 2026, that Tom Raffio, President and CEO of Northeast Delta Dental, has accepted an appointment to the President’s Council for Performance Excellence.
The Council brings together leaders from business, government, and civic institutions to help strengthen organizational performance, economic competitiveness, and community well-being. Members serve as strategic advisors to the Baldrige Foundation as it expands the practical use of the Baldrige Excellence Framework®. Additionally, council members are engaged in supporting the expansion and adoption of Baldrige and the tools of the Institute for Performance Excellence to help support businesses across the United States and throughout the world.
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Applications Now Open for the CAHME/Baldrige Foundation Award for Leadership Excellence

CAHME is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted exclusively from Program Directors of CAHME-accredited programs for the Baldrige Foundation Award for Leadership Excellence.
In partnership with the Baldrige Foundation, CAHME is proud to offer one Program Director the opportunity to receive this prestigious award in recognition of their commitment to leadership, quality improvement, and excellence in healthcare administration education. We are grateful to the Baldrige Foundation for its outstanding partnership and to the university for its continued support of the healthcare administration program.
The award has been revised to include new opportunities and benefits for both the award recipient and their college. The recipient will receive two exclusive opportunities, while their college will receive a special benefit of its own.
Application Deadline: November 16, 2026
Submit Your Program Director Nomination Today!
Questions and Online Application Help
Brianna Moccia, CAHME Operations Manager | 301-298-1820 ext. 707
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As fall approaches, there is much activity within the Alliance for Performance Excellence!  Here are some of the highlights:
Entering the final phase of the 2026 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, with 11 Finalist applicants hosting site visits in the next few weeks.  Judges meet mid-November to recommend Award recipients, which will be announced shortly thereafter.  Details of the 2027 Award process — such as eligibility and timeline — will be announced in December for organizations and communities interested in applying.
2026 Baldrige Conference will be Oct 12-13 in New Orleans with the theme “The Rhythm of Excellence,” featuring 30+ speakers from across the nation sharing methods, tools, and best practices that drive performance excellence.  Valuable insights, powerful networking, high energy for leaders navigating today’s challenges.  Co-hosted with Communities of Excellence & Resilience (C.O.R.E.).  More information: https://www.baldrigeconference.org/.
For more information on the Baldrige Award itself, visit here or to get started on your journey to excellence, find your Alliance member program here.
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