Over the years I've frequently referenced Dave Snowden's Cynefin model as a way of understanding problems and contexts (and I talked about it my books). It's fantastically useful. This ten year old film is a good, short run through:
In my experience there is rarely enough thought in strategy that goes in to the types of contexts you may be operating in, and the types of responses you may need. There is a real danger in organisations of a one-size-fits-all approach to decision-making and planning.
I particularly like the reference in this film to the difference between categorisation models (like a 2 x 2 matrix) which are rife in planning, and a sensemaking model. In categorisation the framework precedes the data, but in sensemaking the data precedes the framework, yet the difference is critical. Categorisation is good for exploitation. Sensemaking is good for exploration. But context is essential to help us know how to respond. And importantly it helps us to understand our potential vulnerability to rapid change which is of-course, more relevant than ever right now.
