thinking-cynefin
Installation
SKILL.md
Cynefin Framework
Overview
Cynefin (Dave Snowden) classifies a problem by the relationship between cause and effect, then prescribes the matching approach. Using the wrong approach for the domain is the failure mode: detailed planning is useless in chaos, and experimentation is reckless when a best practice already exists.
Core Principle: The nature of the problem determines the approach. Classify first, then act.
The Classifier
| Cause–effect is… | Domain | Approach | Do this |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obvious to anyone | Clear | Sense → Categorize → Respond | Apply the known best practice / runbook; don't over-engineer |
| Knowable with expertise/analysis | Complicated | Sense → Analyze → Respond | Investigate, profile, design; multiple valid solutions exist |
| Only visible in retrospect (emergent) | Complex | Probe → Sense → Respond | Run small safe-to-fail probes, amplify what works |
| Not perceivable; turbulent | Chaotic | Act → Sense → Respond | Act now to stabilize (rollback/failover), understand later |
| Unsure which domain | Disorder | Decompose | Split into parts and classify each part |