Framing prevents fragmented action. It clarifies what must be achieved, what may be conceded, what must be avoided, and the conditions against which the mandate’s success will be assessed.
Strategic objective: access, agreement, recovery, acquisition or mediation.
Stakeholders: principal, decision-makers, allies and opponents.
Constraints: timetable, confidentiality, reputation and internal politics.
Success criteria: expected outcome, thresholds, deadlines and evidence of progress.
Opening narrative: why the other party should engage now.