Is it wrong Not to Frame Challenge?

Question

In this question I spent some time in comments with @detly to refine and clarify his problem for a possible answer.

With further clarification, I read the question again and had one of those moments: the problem cited is a symptom of the different problem, a problem related to @GMJoe's answer on in-game leadership, or at-table leadership, as a path toward resolution.

The fingerprints of the XY Problem were clear to me.

My assessment: Based on information provided, this group of half a dozen has not formed a team, and has little-to-no leadership.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing for TTRPG's. Our hobby is a fun activity where success is usually increased as a result of all contributing. Plus, peer leadership is one of the trickier bits of that art. Leaving theories of leadership aside, I did not challenge the frame. It was tempting.

First instinct:

Your problem won't go away, because what you describe is a symptom of a group that isn't a team, that hasn't got a team focus. Until you address that group dynamics issue, this symptom won't go away. An answer like that is a big time buzz kill. As I try to parse the norms and memes of this community, such an answer would be condemned.

Second instinct:

Offer a bandage for the sucking chest wound, here's the first aid kit. That's all the tool suggestion can be: a band aid. No idea how well developed the group's social contract is, or will become. (One hopes nothing but success on that score).

Justification/Rationalization 1:

The tool is the kind of thing @detly asked for. (Con - If I look at the XY Problem, it's not directly addressing what looks to be a root cause, and so may not be helpful).

Justification/Rationalization 2:

The teamwork / team building appeal may or may not work in this particular group. It may be beyond the social skills of the querent, the DM, certain group members, and all-in-all "too hard" to fix. This is a leisure activity, is "fixing" worth the effort and social risks associated with it?

All justifications (excuses?) considered, was it wrong Not To Frame Challenge once I recognized what looked like an XY Problem?

I ask this in part because I think @GMJoe's reply was a form of frame challenge, even if not explicitly identified as such. Gears began turning in my head after @Miniman's early comment that "this doesn't answer his question." I was tempted to comment it being a frame challenge, but chose not to for reasons.

Answer 1

There is no right or wrong regarding frame challenges. Frame challenging is a piece of local jargon that just describes a certain way of approaching the problem and providing a solution. It's not special, just hard to do well, which is why it is a subject of discussion enough to be identified and named.

Like all proposed solutions, whether it's good or bad is a complex combination of substance, thesis, clarity, presentation, persuasion, zeitgeist leverage, and other intangibles.

There is no right or wrong when it comes to these intangibles. In fact, it is exactly because such intangibles require complex, nuanced, and sometimes unquantifiable human judgement to evaluate fully that the up/down voting system exists. The wisdom of the crowd distills a judgement of the quality of these intangibles, whether it's a a frame challenge answer or another kind of answer.

Whether the answer would be condemned or not depends on a lot more than just whether it is a buzzkill. Frame challenges are somewhat risky because poor execution on some of those intangibles can result in a poorly-received answer, but because they're intangibles, it's not always clear why. A well-executed frame challenge can be extremely popular however, if it hits near the sweet spot of all the possible intangibles voters are looking for.

So: there's no right or wrong, only degrees of quality. Whether to frame challenge or not is a matter of personal judgement, and whether it is good or not must be decided in a practical, live test in collaboration with voters. That's the essence of the Stack Exchange model. Personally, I think it's often worth it to find out, but adopting that view requires being OK with the possibility that it will be poorly-received. (There's always next time!)