The Cynefin Framework

The Cynefin framework is a problem-solving tool that helps you put situations into five "domains" defined by cause-and-effect relationships. This helps you assess your situation more accurately and respond appropriately. It was developed by David J. Snowden.

The Five Domains

• Obvious Contexts – "The Domain of Best Practice"
• The options are clear and cause-and-effect relationships are apparent to everyone.
• You need to "Sense – Categorize – Respond" to the obvious decisions. 
• Assess the situation, categorize its type, and then base your response on best practices. There is often one established "correct" answer, based on an existing process or procedure.
• There is a danger (oversimplification). 
• Leaders, or an organization, experience success and then become complacent:
• Make sure that there are clear communication channels in place, so that team members can report any situations that don't fit with any established category.
• Avoid micromanaging and stay connected in order to spot a change in context.
• Leaders may not be receptive to new ideas because of past experiences and success. 
• Stay open to new ideas and be willing to pursue innovative suggestions.
• Create a communication channel—an anonymous one, if necessary—that allows dissenters to provide early warnings about complacency.
• Frequently collapses into Chaos occur because success has bred complacency.
• Complicated Contexts – "The Domain of Experts"
• There is a clear relationship between cause and effect, but it may not be visible to everyone. For example, you might see several symptoms of a problem but not know how to fix it.
• You need to "Sense – Analyze – Respond"
• Assess the situation, analyze what is known (often with the help of experts), and decide on the best response, using good practice.
• There is a danger:
• Leaders may rely too heavily on experts in complicated situations while dismissing or overlooking creative solutions from other people. 
• Assemble a team of people from a wide variety of backgrounds (including rebels and dissenters), and use tools such as Crawford's Slip Writing Method to ensure that everyone's views are heard.
• Complex Contexts – "The Domain of Emergence"
• It might be impossible to identify one "correct" solution, or spot cause-and-effect relationships, in "complex" situations. 
• You need to "Probe – Sense – Respond." 
• Complex contexts are often unpredictable.
• Rather than trying to control the situation or insisting on a plan of action, it's often best to be patient, look for patterns, and encourage a solution to emerge.
• It can be helpful to conduct business experiments in these situations and accept failure as part of the learning process. 
• Make sure that you have processes in place to guide your team's thinking – even a simple set of rules can lead to better solutions than no guidance at all.
• Gather a diverse group of people to come up with innovative, creative solutions to complex problems. 
• Use brainstorming tools such as Random Input or Provocation to generate new ideas, and encourage your team to debate the possibilities.

Tip:

Complicated and complex situations are similar in some ways, and it can be challenging to tell which of them you're experiencing. However, if you need to make a decision based on incomplete data, for example, you're likely to be in a complex situation.

• Chaotic Contexts – "The Domain of Rapid Response"
• No relationship between cause and effect exists, so your primary goal is to establish order and stability. Crisis and emergency scenarios often fall into this domain.
• You need to "Act – Sense – Respond" 
• Act decisively to address the most pressing issues, sense where there is stability and where there isn't, and then respond to move the situation from chaos to complexity.
• Conduct a Risk Analysis to identify possible risks, prioritize them with a Risk Impact/Probability Chart, and make sure that you have a comprehensive crisis plan in place. 
• It's impossible to prepare for every situation, but planning for identifiable risks is often helpful.
• Reliable information is critical in uncertain and chaotic situations, so make sure you know how to communicate in a crisis. 
• Disorder
• It can be extremely difficult to identify when you're in a "disorder" situation. Here, it isn't clear which of the other four domains is dominant, and people generally rely on decision-making techniques that are known and comfortable. 
• Your need to "Gather Information" so that you can move into a known domain and then take the appropriate action.

References

• The Cynefin Framework - Using the Most Appropriate Problem-Solving Process (mindtools.com)
• A Leader’s Framework for Decision Making (hbr.org)

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The Managing Complex Change Model

The Lippitt-Knoster Model for Managing Complex Change is an excellent tool both to plan Change, as well as to diagnose issues when a project is already happening. It provides a consolidated map of all the elements needed, and I particularly like the focus on Incentives, as these are way too often missed in many alternative models.

The Key Components of the Model for Managing Complex Change

• Vision:
• Why is change needed?
• Shared and are people buying in? 
• Are there measurable, achievable goals? 
• Consensus:
• Leaders cannot assume they have the power to push through change without gaining a consensus. 
• Skills:
• What skills are needed? 
• Do staff members have expertise or training in what they are being asked to do? 
• If not, will it be provided by someone they trust?
• Incentives:
• How will employees benefit them? 
• Can be tangible such as monetary, or intangible such as personal achievement or prestige.
• Resources:
• What resources are readily available? 
• Are they appropriate? 
• Are there in-house people who are resources? 
• Is the distribution of resources fair? 
• What resources are needed and how will you get them?
• Action Plan:
• The action plan for change should be clear and developed by a representation of all stakeholders. 
• Without a plan, gaining traction and moving forward is impossible.

The possible negative change outcomes

• Confusion.
• Sabotage.
• Anxiety.
• Resistance.
• Frustration.
• Treadmill or False Start.

References

• Models: The Lippitt-Knoster Model for Managing Complex Change | Sergio Caredda

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The 8 Steps Process for Change

Step 1: Create A Sense Of Urgency

In order to build the business case internally and build momentum within the entire organization, a Change Agent must appeal to and influence both Thinking (our new Rational brains) and Feeling (our older Reptilian brains).

• Make a compelling story.
• Use of metaphors, analogies, and imagery.
• Use simple language and avoid jargon and acronyms.
• Frequent, consistent, and aligned communication.
• Energy and enthusiasm are infused throughout.
• Careful use of data – don’t overuse it.
• Do your homework to understand what people are feeling.
• Rid the channels of communication of junk so that important messages come through.
• High level of visibility.
• Bring the outside in.
• Communicate with what you DO not just what you SAY.

Step 2: Build A Guiding Coalition

This step involves pulling together a group with enough power to lead change. 

• It must have the right composition, a significant level of trust, and a strong shared objective. 
• The elimination of the individualistic ego, and the fortitude to work through ongoing inertia.
• The Guiding Coalition should feature the following four qualities:
• Position Power:  Enough key players should be on board so that those left out cannot block progress.
• Expertise:  All relevant points of view should be represented so that informed intelligent decisions can be made.
• Credibility:  The group should be seen and respected by those in the firm so that the group’s pronouncements will be taken seriously by other employees.
• Leadership:  The group should have enough proven leaders to be able to drive the change process.

Step 3: Form A Change Vision

In this step, the Guiding Coalition needs to clarify how the future will be different from the past. This is achieved through an organizational vision. 

Kotter outlines six characteristics of effective visions:

• Imaginable: They convey a clear picture of what the future will look like.
• Desirable: They appeal to the long-term interest of those who have a stake in the enterprise.
• Feasible: They contain realistic and attainable goals.
• Focused: They are clear enough to provide guidance in decision-making.
• Flexible: They allow individual initiative and alternative responses in light of changing conditions.
• Communicable: They are easy to communicate and can be explained quickly.

Step 4: Communicate The Vision For Buy In

In this step, the guiding coalition needs to ensure that as many people as possible understand and accept the vision. A good rule of thumb is to amplify communication of the vision by a factor of ten.  A single memo or series of speeches by the CEO will not cut it - it needs to be communicated in hour-by-hour activities and anywhere and everywhere - referred to in emails, meetings, and presentations.

Kotter outlines some guidelines for communicating the vision. These are:

• Simple: No techno babble or jargon.
• Vivid: A verbal picture is worth a thousand words – use metaphor, analogy, and example.
• Repeatable: Ideas should be able to be spread by anyone to anyone.
• Invitational: Two-way communication is always more powerful than one-way communication.
• Again, keep the Golden Circle in mind as a reference point.
• Actions definitely speak louder than words. An entire team of senior managers who do this sends a powerful message which can inspire confidence, decrease cynicism and change internal cultures.

Step 5: Empower Broad-Based Action

After the vision has been defined and communicated, the organization needs to remove as many barriers as possible and unleash its employees to do their best work.

• Structural Barriers. 
• Internal structures within an organization can often be at odds with the change vision. 
• This again is manifested as bloated middle management, siloed departments, and an over-emphasis on managers over makers.
• Two strategies work here. 
• First, realign incentives and performance appraisals to reward and reflect the thing you most value as a business. 
• Second, concentrate on improving management information systems. 
• The goal is to speed up feedback loops and provide the information necessary for employees to do their jobs more efficiently.
• Supervisory Barriers
• This basically refers to troublesome supervisors. 
• They are often defined by locked, one-sided mental models or a large number of interrelated habits that add up to an inability to accept change.

Step 6: Generate Short-Term Wins

This step is predicated upon generating and making visible unambiguous success as soon as possible. It is critical to driving short-term wins in any long-term change effort.

• The Guiding Coalition should be tasked with identifying significant improvements within 6 to 18 months. 
• Experience significant short-term wins by fourteen and twenty-six months after the change initiative is much more likely to complete the transformation.

Step 7: Sustain Momentum - Don’t Give Up!

Consolidating gains and producing more incremental change. This stage is vastly improved with strong leadership. Transformational leaders will strive to launch more and more projects to drive change deeper into the organization, and more importantly, become part of the organization’s culture. A lack of consistent and sufficient leadership runs the risk of stalling plans.

Kotter outlines a good checklist that appears at this stage in a lot of successful change organizations:

• More projects are being added.
• Additional people are being brought in to help with the changes.
• Senior leadership is focused on giving clarity to an aligned vision and shared purpose.
• Employees are empowered at all levels to lead projects.
• Reduced interdependencies between areas.
• Constant effort to keep urgency high.
• Consistent show of proof that the new way is working.

Step 8: Institute Culture Change - Make It Stick

Kotter outlines a checklist for Culture:

• Cultural change should come last, not first.
• You must be able to prove that the new way is superior to the old.
• The success must be visible and well communicated.
• You will lose some people in the process.
• You must reinforce new norms and values with incentives and rewards – including promotions.
• Reinforce the culture with every new employee.

References 

• Kotter 8 Step Process for Change — MATTYFORD

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