
CYNEFIN
AGLX coaches use Cynefin (ku-nev-in), a sense-making and decision making framework, to help leaders understand their changing environments.
Business schools and organizations use principles of scientific management and systems dynamics to prepare managers how to operate in industrial-age ordered systems (simple and complicated domains). However, in today’s VUCA world, the majority of situations and decisions leaders face are complex, requiring a new set of leadership and cognitive skills.
Using cause and effect relationships separated into five domains, the Cynefin framework allows leaders to identify the nature of their context and how they should respond.

The Five Domains of Cynefin
Obvious (known knowns)
Nature — Familiar, certain, well worn pathways
Respond — Ensure sound process in place, monitor for noncompliance
Prepare — Automate but maintain capability through situational awareness
Sense-Categorize-Respond
Complicated (known unknowns)
Nature — Prediction or forecasting is possible
Response — Determine experts or process
Prepare — Right people and process, right time
Sense-Analyze-Respond
Complex (unknown unknowns)
Nature — Multiple hypotheses exist
Response — Monitor crews safe-to-fail experiments
Prepare — Crews and human sensor networks
Probe-Sense-Respond
Chaos (unknowable unknowns)
Nature — Temporary state, high turbulence with no patterns
Response — Heavy command and control, use heuristics
Prepare — Crews as crisis management teams, human sensor networks
Act-Sense-Respond
Disorder (domain clarity does not exist)
Applicability
Originally developed for the practice of knowledge management, Cynefin’s wide-range of applicability includes crisis management, counter intelligence (CI), organizational agility, Agile, Operational Excellence (OpEx), healthcare, warfare, product development, supply chain management, leadership, strategy, branding, marketing, and government policy-making.
Probe. Sense. Respond. Contact AGLX to learn more about navigating complexity with Cynefin and how it informs the most resilient and innovative organizations.
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