The agreement frame

The Agreement Frame can be used in any situation to explain your viewpoint in an assertive, non-confrontational way, without watering your position down. It is designed to encourage discussion and information sharing between all parties. Although it can be used in many situations, it is particularly effective in conflict resolution.

The Agreement Frame takes one of three forms:

I appreciate, and…
I respect, and…
I agree, and…

Here is an example of the Agreement Frame in use.

Person A	Person B
The best way to resolve this conflict is for you to resign your position immediately.	I respect your opinion, and I think that there might be some other viable options.
What options were you considering?	I think that if I issued an apology to the team for the misunderstanding that we would be on our way to resolving the conflict.
I think that option is too low-key for this situation.	I agree that it might not be a strong enough statement, and I may need to have team meetings to address the underlying issues.

Remember, the words “but” and “however” are conversation-stoppers. Try to avoid using them with the agreement frame.