# Cynefin Framework

> A decision-making framework developed by Dave Snowden that classifies situations into five domains — Clear, Complicated, Complex, Chaotic, and Disorder — and prescribes a different response style for each.

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## Definition

A decision-making framework developed by Dave Snowden that classifies situations into five domains — Clear, Complicated, Complex, Chaotic, and Disorder — and prescribes a different response style for each. Clear and Complicated problems yield to best-practice and expert analysis; Complex problems require probe-sense-respond experimentation because cause and effect can only be understood in retrospect; Chaotic situations demand decisive action first, sense-making second. Cynefin's value is forcing leaders to diagnose the type of problem they face before reaching for a familiar toolkit.


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