How Cynefin helps manage complexity and make better decisions
Cynefin Framework helps leaders navigate a path to clarity
In today’s world, leaders face a lot of challenge and complexity – big and small – on a daily basis.
The challenges that leaders face are uncertain and difficult to navigate, such as:
Getting alignment with other leaders across the organization.
Adapting to new ways of working in physical and virtual environments.
Responding to changing customer demands and priorities.
Assessing new technologies and integrating them into work.
Paying attention to employees needs while promoting collaboration.
Take for instance, artificial intelligence, process automation and machine learning. Are these technologies replacing or enhancing jobs? Are they making your business more efficient or adding more complexity?
What is ChatGTP for example and why should you pay attention?
Leaders have many competing priorities and must have a way to separate distraction from legitimate issues to investigate further.
A typical day for a leader is filled with meetings, customer demands, administration, employee issues and so on. Plus, most have spouses, kids and friends who need attention (AKA leaders have lives outside work).
Today, our lives seem to be more and more complex. We didn’t have to worry about many of these challenges even just five years ago.
Take for instance quiet quitting. What is that? And, do you have it on your team? In today’s world you must show real concern for the well-being of your people and culture.
The list of challenges causing uncertainty seems endless and leaders only have so much energy each day. They must find ways to prioritize which challenges they are solving and ensure that they are solving them efficiently and effectively.
Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard defined leadership as “situational” and that the role of a leader is to develop the competence and commitment of their people so they're motivated rather than dependent on others for guidance.
It is in situations that leaders face where the Cynefin Framework can help sort through uncertainty.
Cynefin Framework helps leaders navigate a path to clarity
David Snowden’s Cynefin Framework provides leaders with a starting point from which to deal with challenges that are increasingly more complex and unpredictable than they might have been in the past.
Cynefin (pronounced ka:NEFF:in) is Welsh and stands for habitat which can be interpreted as the domain where leadership challenges live.
Snowden’s framework includes four domains – Chaos, Complexity, Complication and Clarity. These domains are grouped into two parts: predictable and unpredictable.
When leaders are confronted with a challenge that requires situational leadership, they can use Cynefin by stepping back and asking, “is the situation predictable or unpredictable?” and which of the four domains does it land within.
For example, collaborating on how to use emerging technologies can be unpredictable and complex, while disciplines like finance or legal are complicated.
If a situation is complicated and we don’t have a solution, leaders can leverage experts such as accountants and lawyers to help complicated challenges become clear.
When a situation – like teamwork and collaboration – is unpredictable and complex, leaders must explore and investigate the problem and get to the root cause before generating solutions.
The goal of Cynefin is to bring leadership challenges into clarity.
To do this we need to understand if we are in chaos or complexity. Or if the situation is complicated and can rely on leading practices and solutions.
Explore Cynefin further:
Read
Cynefin Framework website
A Leader’s Framework for Decision Making
Watch
The Cynefin Framework explained by David Snowden
Agile By Example: Dave Snowden - Cynefin in practice
Making Sense of Complexity - an introduction to Cynefin
