Last updated: 2020-06-05

Cynefin Framework - Making The Best Decision In These 5 Contexts

In 1999 at IBM, Dave Snowden describes a set of 5 effective approaches guiding managers through complicated, complex, chaotic, or disorderly situations.

Snowden splits situations according to their novelty in the context of existing experience. The description of the tool below will improve your ability to respond optimally if you correctly categorize the decision circumstance. The situation domains are:

Disorder

All decisions start here. First, our current case is categorized into one of the domains below to continue decision making.

Simple

These are well-known cases, commonly dealt with problems with established and reliable standards and best practices. Snowden advises here to establish the facts (sense), select proper procedure (categorize), and then respond.

Complicated

These are understood cases with some precedents, but no standard practice. There is a range of possible answers. Instead of categorizing, we perform analysis.

Complex

These are unprecedented cases. Cause and effect relationship is derived and exploited in retrospect. The framework suggests probing the environment with low-cost experiments before taking expensive actions.

Chaotic

These are unstable, ever different situations. Cause and effect relationship is not knowable due to constant drift of the environment. We quickly take action to leave this domain. While dangerous long term, the chaos may give birth to beneficial novel ideas and practices.

Now make sure you remember what you have learned above by taking a Cynefin micro-training quiz

QuizRecall can be used to generate training quizzes for purposes of onboarding new employees and developing their knowledge. At the same time, it can also be a tool for individual adaptive self-study as an autodidactic appliance.

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Cynefin micro-training quiz

Author: Vaclav Kosar