Incident reviews: Looking beyond the root cause

The text discusses the challenges software developers face when addressing incidents in complex systems, emphasizing that incidents often lack a single root cause due to multiple interconnected factors. It critiques the reductionist approach and advocates for embracing complexity through the Cynefin framework, which categorizes problems into chaotic, complex, complicated, and clear domains, guiding the response approach accordingly. The text highlights the importance of storytelling in post-incident reviews to capture multiple perspectives, uncovering hidden connections and fostering a deeper understanding of the incidents. By sharing narratives, teams can identify patterns and insights, leading to more informed solutions. It encourages open-mindedness, continuous learning through incident reports, and a balanced approach between structured frameworks and narrative-driven insights to improve incident management and enhance system resilience.