| name | cynefin-framework |
| description | Use the Cynefin framework to classify situations as clear, complicated, complex, chaotic, or disordered and choose the right response. Use when deciding how to act under uncertainty or domain complexity. |
| license | MIT |
| metadata | {"author":"itzcull"} |
Cynefin Framework
Overview
- Category: Decision Making Tool
- Purpose: Help make sense of different situations to choose an appropriate response
- Developed by: Dave Snowden in 1999
- Pronunciation: /kuh-nev-in/
Five Domains
1. Clear (Obvious/Simple)
- "Domain of best practices"
- Characteristics:
- Familiar, clearly defined problems
- Stable situations
- Clear cause-and-effect relationships
- Approach: sense-categorise-respond
2. Complicated
- "Known unknowns"
- Multiple right answers not immediately visible
- Requires expert analysis
- Approach: sense-analyze-respond
3. Complex
- "Unknown unknowns"
- Situation cannot be understood by analysis
- Approach: Experiment, learn, then sense and respond
- Goal: Move problem to complicated domain
4. Chaotic
- Situation not under control
- Unclear cause-and-effect relationships
- Approach: act-sense-respond
- Opportunity for novel solutions
5. Disorder
- Don't know which domain you're in
- Goal: Quickly identify correct domain
- Strategy: Break down problem into parts
How to Use
- Identify which domain your situation falls into
- Choose appropriate response based on domain characteristics
Guiding Questions
- Do you know what causes the situation?
- Is the situation under control?
- How much do you know about it?
- Does solving it require expert knowledge?
Key Takeaway
"Different kinds of situations or problems require different kinds of responses."
Sources
- Harvard Business Review
- Everyday Kanban
- Wikipedia
- Miro template
Source: https://untools.co/cynefin-framework/
