Decision-making support with the Cynefin framework

Cynefin is a decision-support framework developed by Dave Snowden in 1999 to help determine the most effective response to various situations by categorizing them into five distinct domains: clear, complicated, complex, chaotic, and confusion. Each domain offers unique characteristics and suggested approaches, ranging from following established best practices in the clear domain to taking immediate action in the chaotic domain. Cynefin emphasizes understanding the nature of the problem space and the dynamics of knowledge flows, allowing issues to transition between domains as understanding evolves. While popular among product managers for its ability to navigate different contexts and guide decision-making, Cynefin does not provide specific answers on aligning teams across domains or assessing outcomes, necessitating supplementary strategies like outcome-based objectives for comprehensive value creation.