In coaching I help people learn to observe themselves in the areas of language, emotions and the body, or what we ontological coaches call our ‘way of being’. This is because our ‘way of being’ defines how we see the world and the possibilities available to us. Another way of saying this is that I help people become objective about themselves. I help them to see what they were previously unaware of or subject to.

There’s another tool I use to help people see things objectively, and that’s the Cynefin framework. Rather than focusing on just the individual, the Cynefin framework is helpful in allowing people see the world ‘out there’ objectively. It can be incredibly reassuring when we learn to identify the type of context or problem we’re dealing with and see things for what they are. Given the overwhelming pandemic experience that we’re all emerging from, I thought it might be helpful to explore aspects of the Covid pandemic through the lens of the Cynefin framework. Mostly, I hope to illustrate how by learning to see our context more objectively, we can change our relationship to things, apply the most helpful and suitable practices and in doing this, positively shift our experience.

So what is the Cynefin framework?

The framework was developed by David J. Snowden in 1999. The name Cynefin is Welsh and its literal translation is “habitat” or “place”, but it can also be used to describe the dynamic, interconnected and multi-dimensional nature of something uncertain and complex. The framework was originally designed to help leaders understand that every situation is different and requires a unique approach to decision making, but it can also be applied to all sorts of personal situations.

The framework outlines four situational domains that are defined by cause-and-effect relationships. Learning to see what domain a particular issue or challenge falls into, especially a complex one where things are unpredictable, enables us to adjust our behaviour to better suit what we’re facing. By consciously considering what we’re dealing with, we give ourselves the best chance to be resourceful.

Cynefin explained

As you can see, Snowdon’s framework makes the big distinction between those things which are predictable (on the right of the diagram) and those which are unpredictable (on the left). In the predictable world you can expect things to repeat time after time — they just cycle around. In the unpredictable world though, things are really different — they don’t necessarily happen again in the way they’ve happened before.

Predictable Domains

In the space of predictability, Snowdon differentiates between two types of experiences or challenges: obvious and complicated. Here are some clues that can help identify each one:

Obvious

· You’ve seen this issue previously and you know what the solution is — it’s worked before.

· You know exactly what to do — the hardest part is applying the solution.

· While the problem may have multiple components, the components each behave in predictable and known ways.

· Examples: calling someone on your mobile, making spaghetti bolognaise, school roll call, hospital check-in process, washing hands thoroughly with soap and warm water to prevent spreading a virus.

Complicated

· You’ve seen similar problems before and you have tools and approaches that can help you figure out this problem with some reliability.

· Working out the answer or approach may be tricky, but it’s doable. When you find an answer, it will be one you can trust.

· You might need the help of specialists or experts, but the right analysis will produce a definitive solution.

· The end goal is known and agreed upon.

· Root causes, though not necessarily obvious, can be identified.

· Examples: diagnosing a problem with a boiler, working out a schedule to manage home-schooling alongside your work commitments during lockdown, performing hip replacement surgery, landing a rocket on the moon, deciding the order in which a population should be vaccinated.

Unpredictable Domains

In the space of unpredictability, Snowdon differentiates between another two types of experiences or challenges: complex and chaotic. Here are some pointers for identifying which one you may be dealing with:

Complex

· No clear guide for how to approach the issue.

· There is no clear answer no matter how hard we try to identify it. We cannot solve the problem.

· The problem has multiple components with many interconnections, and the components each behave in unpredictable ways.

· Just when you think you have it figured out, it changes.

· Emotions run high and people act in ways that often don’t make sense.

· Generally, anything to do with people because, if you think about it, people are changeable and unpredictable.

· Examples: raising children, deciding on the best protocol for containing Covid within a large population, instilling Covid best-practice (such as washing hands and wearing a mask) in communities with low levels of literacy and limited water supplies, navigating constantly changing regulations, protocols and lockdown conditions during a pandemic.

Chaotic

· Things coming at us so quickly that we just react.

· No sense of being able to predict what’s going to happen next.

· No discernible patterns.

· Examples: outbreak of war, early stages of the Covid pandemic, fist fight breaks out at a wedding, a new and virulent strain of the Covid virus emerges.

What we experience in predictable domains

Another way to start to identify which domain we’re dealing with, is to pay attention to the emotions we’re experiencing. Interesting to note is that when we’re dealing with an issue that’s predictable, our emotions are generally pretty stable.

Obvious

· Confidence, even certainty, that we’ve seen this before, we know what to do, and it works.

· Knowing that successful outcome is likely to follow from a decision to act.

· Sense of alignment and balance.

Complicated

· Anticipation at the idea of finding the right (or one of the right) answers.

· Assuredness that our education, experience, tools and frameworks will get us to an answer.

· Knowing that there is an answer and if we can’t find it, there are experts we can call.

What we experience in unpredictable domains

However, when we crossover into an unpredictable context — as soon as things become complex — our emotions explode. This is because humans are wired to want certainty. We’re constantly seeking to predict what’s going to happen next in an extraordinary variety of ways. When we don’t find it, we become easily triggered and feelings such as anxiety, anger or hopelessness emerge. Here are some clues to look out for that might indicate we’re at the mercy of our context. As we come out of the pandemic, many of these may feel recently familiar.

Complex

· A sense of overwhelm; too much is happening and changing too fast for us to know what’s going on and what to do.

· A sense that what used to work or what we used to know isn’t as reliable as it once was.

· Feeling of inadequate preparation and planning.

· Feeling that the very essence of who we are is at risk.

Chaotic

· Fight or flight reflex kicks in (although this can happen in other domains too).

· Urge to restore order in any way possible without much attention to the long term.

It’s worth mentioning that once we can learn to see our context, we can learn to adapt our emotional responses so that they support the practices that will best serve us in each one, but more on that later.

Disorder

Incidentally, the domain in the middle is called disorder. This is the domain we’re in when our context isn’t yet clear to us.

So how could we have applied all this to support ourselves during the pandemic?

Hopefully, learning to see things for what they are is helpful. Many of my clients feel a sense of relief when they realize that there are certain situations that are simply beyond their control. This was especially relevant to many aspects of the Covid pandemic, which fell into complexity or even chaos. Of course we can’t control something that by its very nature is unknowable and unpredictable! Of course we’re experiencing strong emotions like anxiety, frustration, hopelessness or even downright anger. It’s normal to feel this when things get unpredictable.

As much as just seeing this provides a certain amount of comfort, it’s not enough. The good news is that there are distinct practices that can be applied to each of these domains, which are designed to support optimal outcomes. In my next article, I’ll explore some of them in more detail, but for now, given that so many aspects of the pandemic still fall into the space of complexity, I’d like to share a few of the practices that can best support us in this space.

Helpful practices for complexity

Our natural instinct in complexity is to just double down and do more of what we’re already good at — be the expert, get organized, plan thoroughly, be in control. Actually, the name of the game in the complex space is to step back and practice something completely different. In complexity, what’s going to help us most is practicing the following:

1. Notice what’s happening. Observe the world out there and observe yourself within that world.

2. Notice what the system is inclined to do — see if there are any patterns — but expect the unexpected.

3. Experiment. See which practices work and which don’t.

4. Amplify the practices that are helpful. Stop the ones that aren’t.

What we want to be doing in this unpredictable domain is creating the best possible conditions for good things to emerge. We can’t define the destination, but by focusing on what we can do in the here and now to create both stability and agility within ourselves, as well as connection to ourselves and to others, we can nudge things in the right direction.

Food for Thought

In my next article I’ll be exploring helpful ways to navigate the domain of complexity, into which so many aspects of the pandemic fell into, but in the meantime, here are some questions and ideas to help you develop some helpful practices of your own, no matter what complex issue you might be facing right now.

If you’re struggling with feeling overwhelmed or anxious, how can you begin to create some stability in your life? What’s one small change you can make that will allow you to settle your nervous system each day, even if it’s for just a short time? Here are some ideas to get you going, but ultimately, you’ll know what’s going to be best for you:

1. Introduce a regular morning walk into your routine.

2. Do a short, guided meditation every lunchtime — UCLA has some good ones here: https://www.uclahealth.org/marc/mindful-meditations

3. Breathe! Spend a few minutes breathing deeply and generously.

4. Listen to some beautiful music.

5. Get out into nature or a park. Go and dig in the garden or an allotment.

When did you last feel a sense of calm and wellbeing? Or even a sense of fun? Allow yourself to think back to this moment. Note what you were doing and, more importantly, remember how it felt. What could you do right now that will help you to re-create this sense in yourself? What can you experiment with? Remember that a felt sense in your whole body is for more valuable than trying to simply think it, so do something!

In summary

We may not be able to control our circumstances, but by consciously practicing things that will support us in each of these areas, we can begin to generate a different and more helpful experience in the face of whatever we might be facing. Remember that you are the one in charge of your emotions, your internal conversations and your physical state.

Last note

The ideas offered in this article are an expression of my perspective based on what I’ve learned as a life coach. I offer them in the hope that they might be useful. Please use them at your discretion.

I'm a life and leadership coach who helps people learn how to become their own best resource. If you'd like to have a conversation and find out more about developing new perspectives, please check out the rest of my website: www.claudiaclaytoncoaching.com 

Or get in touch: hello@claudiaclaytoncoaching.com