A632.8.3RB

A632.8.3RB - Reflections on the Cynefin Framework

MSLD 632: Decision Making For Leaders 

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Worldwide: Online Campus

January 11, 2015

Welshman, Dave Snowden in 1999, developed the Cynefin Framework. Snowden wanted to help leaders diagnose situations that would enable them to identify a problem, assess the corresponding situation and resolve it. To easily identify situations, he commingled situational similarities and parameters with corresponding responses and action suggestions.  

The Cynefin framework, pronounced Kih-neh-vihn, is associated with four different segmented groups, a fifth overlapping between all segments, or quadrants. The four quadrants are Simple, Complicated, Complex, and Chaos, with an overlapping “Disorder” as the fifth. Each quadrant has specific identifying characteristics from which leaders may apply to their current scenario.

Simple Characteristics (Snowden & Boone, 2007):

⦁ requires straightforward management and monitoring 

⦁ leaders sense, categorize, and respond 

⦁ they assess the facts of the situation, categorize them, and then 

⦁ base their response on established practice 

⦁ heavily process-oriented situations, are often simple contexts 

⦁ an employee can usually identify the problem, categorize it, and respond appropriately 

⦁ a command-and-control style for setting parameters works best.   

⦁ directives are straightforward, decisions can be easily delegated, and functions are automated 

⦁ adhering to best practices or process reengineering makes sense

⦁ exhaustive communication among managers and employees is not usually required because disagreement about what needs to be done is rare

I am currently managing in a simple management domain, where the most complex and complicated problem is the way in which to file a document so that it can be most effectively sourced and used.  First, I must identify the problem in the course of the production process, and then I must solve the problem for the long-term, where I need to identify the complicated and complex problem in the production process and where it is breaking down; therefore, how to solve this long-term.

Simple Management Approach:

It has been advised to “sense the situation, categorize it into a known bucket, and apply a well-known and potentially scripted solution” (Wester, 2013). 

Complicated Characteristics (Snowden & Boone, 2007): 

⦁ may contain multiple right answers

⦁ a clear relationship between cause and effect, but not everyone can see it. 

⦁ the realm of “known unknowns.” 

⦁ sense, analyze, and respond. 

⦁ this approach is not easy and often requires expertise

⦁ investigating several options—many of which may be excellent—good practice, as opposed to best practice, is more appropriate. 

⦁ entrained thinking is a danger in complicated contexts

⦁ experts tend to dominate the domain. 

⦁ innovative suggestions by those who are not experts may be overlooked or dismissed, resulting in lost opportunities. 

⦁ the experts have, after all, invested in building their knowledge, and they are unlikely to tolerate controversial ideas. 

⦁ if the context has shifted, however, the leader may need access to those maverick concepts. 

⦁ a leader must listen to the experts while simultaneously welcoming novel thoughts and solutions from others. 

At my last place of employment, I was put into a chaotic situation that was as complex and complicated a scenario as I could have ever imagined. I reached out to my expert boss, who unfortunately made himself unavailable because he was involved in a different chaotic event. Had he been in a more stable position with simple issues, he could have easily lent me some support and advice in managing the storm and help guide in turning “my” company around.

Complicated Management Approach:

When finding a leader in this situation, it has been advised to “sense the problem and then analyze it. Apply expert knowledge to assess the situation and determine a course of action. Then lastly, execute the plan” (Wester, 2013).

Complex Characteristics (Snowden & Boone, 2007):

⦁ at least one right answer exists. 

⦁ right answers can’t be ferreted out. 

⦁ and the whole is far more than the sum of its parts. 

⦁ the realm of “unknown unknowns,” 

⦁ the domain to which much of contemporary business has shifted.

⦁ complex = major change—a bad quarter, a shift in management, a merger or acquisition—introduces unpredictability and flux. 

⦁ why things happen only in retrospect. 

⦁ instructive patterns, however, can emerge if the leader conducts experiments that are safe to fail. 

⦁ instead of attempting to impose a course of action, leaders must patiently allow the path forward to reveal itself. 

⦁ leaders need to probe first, then sense, and then respond.

As mentioned, my past experience as operations manager began as a chaotic experience, and I spent my time trying to lead the organization towards a more stabilized, complicated situation.  Unfortunately, I was laid off before I could actualize that goal. I was very proud that I was able, though, to turn a chaotic organization into a complicated or a complex one. My ultimate intent was to create a simple environment, but that opportunity never was afforded to me. 

Complex Management Approach:

It is imperative to “develop and experiment in order to gain more knowledge pertaining to the situation. Execute and evaluate your sources. As you gather more knowledge, determine the next steps. Repeat as necessary, with the goal of moving your problem into the complicated domain” (Wester, 2013). 

Chaotic Characteristics (Snowden & Boone, 2007):

⦁ searching for right answers would be pointless

⦁ the relationships between cause and effect are impossible to determine because they shift constantly and no manageable patterns exist—only turbulence. 

⦁ this is the realm of unknowns.

⦁ a leader’s immediate job is not to discover patterns but to stanch the bleeding. 

⦁ a leader must first act to establish order, then sense where stability is present and from where it is absent, and then respond by working to transform the situation from chaos to complexity, 

⦁ identification of emerging patterns can both help prevent future crises and discern new opportunities. 

⦁ communication of the most direct top-down or broadcast kind is imperative; there’s simply no time to ask for input.

⦁ most leadership “recipes” arise from examples of good crisis management. 

⦁ chaotic situations are mercifully rare. 

⦁ the crisis demanded decisive action. 

⦁ a specific danger for leaders following a crisis is that some of them become less successful when the context shifts because they are not able to switch styles to match it.

This is a great example of my last job as Operations Manager. It was a very chaotic situation that involved fraud, neglect, and many more negative issues. Once I stabilized the production flow, controlled inventory, eliminated major problems, chaos was subdued and complicated management was initiated. But this is also the time I was let go. 

In my early professional years, I managed a Marriott resort hotel with more than 350 employees in the Los Angeles area. In this hospitality experience, I was exposed to many chaotic events that I had to resolve.  In one scenario, a fire alarm was pulled during the Christmas holidays while more than 1,000 guests were on-site; it required that I manage a successful evacuation. During a convention for the deaf, a riot broke out in the hotel lobby and a special police unit had to help me evacuate the hotel.  Situations like these resulted in my decision to move out of the hospitality industry. 

Being a pilot also has moments of chaos management. If there are aircraft issues, it is extremely important that I manage the chaos and assess the situation once it is under control.  I do this by switching to another domain.

Chaotic Management Approach:

The most feared scenario for a leader, and rightly so, is the chaotic dynamic. This situation is awful going into it, during and coming out of it. The good news about these dynamic situations is that, as a leader, one can gain many skills and insights due to these experiences. One can gain first-hand experience and knowledge; however, not any situation is ever the same. So Wester (2013), advises that the leader perform “triage on the situation. Measure the level of control, assess the situation and determine the next steps. Take action to remediate or move your problem to another domain”.

Disorder Characteristics:

⦁ If you don’t know where you are, you’re in “Disorder” 

⦁ Priority one is to move you to a known domain

Disorder Management Approach:

In this situation, “gather more information on what you know, or at least try to identify what you don’t know. Get enough information to move to a more defined domain” (Wester, 2013). 

In Conclusion:

It is important to remember to identify the problems being encountered, identify the characteristics, and create a plan based off the assessment. It is equally essential to follow the management approach ideals in order to successfully intervene and turn a solution around. This framework is not for the easy at heart or those who want an easy path. This is hard work.  It takes discipline, follow-through, and respect of the team, guidance and support. Nothing about this framework is easy to accomplish regardless of the domain. 

Work is actually work. People would call work something else if it did not require work.

References: 

Levine, S. (2009). Getting to resolution turning conflict into collaboration (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler.

Snowden, D.J., and Boone, M.E. (2007). A leaders framework for decision making. Havard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2007/11/a-leaders-framework-for-decision-making.

Wester, Julia. (2013). Understanding the Cynefin framework – a basic intro. Everyday Kanban. Retrieved from http://www.everydaykanban.com/2013/09/29/understanding-the-cynefin-framework/