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.
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