Navigate Chaos With Clarity: Dave Snowden’s Cynefin Framework Turns Uncertainty Into Advantage [Guru Advice #012]

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Dave Snowden created the Cynefin Framework after years in knowledge management at IBM. His aim was simple yet provocative: stop treating every problem as if it were linear and predictable. Cynefin (a Welsh word that hints at “place of multiple belongings”) offers five contexts—Clear, Complicated, Complex, Chaotic, and Confused—that help leaders decide how to act when reality refuses to fit neat plans.

In the Clear domain, cause and effect are obvious to all. Best practice works, checklists rule, and automation thrives. Think invoice matching or password resets. Here, the mantra is Sense → Categorise → Respond. Leaders should codify tasks, delegate, and measure cycle time. Low-code platforms and robotic process automation excel because variation is minimal.