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The Cynefin framework explained on the basis of composing a song

Since I was 16, I have been writing songs. Lyrics and music. Typical singer-songwriter. That is now a nice outlet, but in my adolescence I really wanted to conquer the world with my music. The highlight was winning the ‘Grote Prijs van Nederland’ public award. The low point was a blackout live at Tros Muziekcafé. “You win some and learn some.”

In a Tedtalk I once tried to explain how songs are created. How I get into the flow of writing a song. How I come to inspiration. When I was 16, the Cynefin framework didn’t exist, but that would have helped me. How? Well, to make the fuzzy process from writing songs to rehearsing those songs with a band a little smoother. From idea to execution was sometimes (read: often) a bumpy road. And that wasn’t always due to the song or the musicians. But all too often it was due to the wrong approach to getting from a vague idea to a concrete song, ready to play live. With this article, I want to inspire you to take the right approach to whatever type of issue comes your way. By doing so, you will be effective and save a lot of time. Time otherwise lost in a frustrated approach that rarely leads to a good solution.

The Cynefin Framework

Cynefin is Welsh for habitat (freely translated: where something belongs) and is often used in Agile to indicate the nature of the type of work, problem or issue. Roughly speaking, the model consists of five domains:

• Disorder;
• Chaos;
• Complex;
• Complicated;
• Simple.

For each domain, an approach to solving a problem or meeting the challenge fits. In Chaos, a different approach fits than in Simple. Classifying the type of work into these domains helps teams and managers take the right approach to a specific issue. Instead of approaching every issue the same way. The framework makes us much more effective and efficient in the way we organize and manage. In the Chaos domain, there are many ambiguities and uncertainties. In the domain Simple, everything is clear and there are no more uncertainties and ambiguities.

Below you can read in 5 minutes how the model works on the basis of writing songs the way I do. And also what hard learning moments I’ve had.

Disorder: not choosing automatically creates problems

One of the domains of the Cynefin framework is Disorder. That’s not really where you want to be at all. Disorder refers to not choosing an appropriate approach to a problem, but assuming one size fits all.

You have one approach that you apply to all problems. In the vain hope that it works. I did that several times while composing a song. I’d step into the rehearsal room in good spirits. With an idea for a song, which was no more than a few sounds and some textual gibberish. Then, of course, we were supposed to leave the rehearsal room with a finished song, ready for the stage. You guessed it: all too often this resulted in a downright deception. Together we dove into the domain of Chaos.

Each band member set to work from their own idea and conception. That works moderately well if you expect to rehearse a song quickly. Of course, sometimes something cool came about. But more often it led to uninspired rubbish. It worked much better when we had already worked out an idea in more detail and then went into it together. Unfortunately, I did not have that wisdom at 16.

Chaos: when something beautiful is created

When I write a song, it always originates in the domain of Chaos. Don’t ask me exactly how inspiration works or how an idea originates, but what I do know is that an idea can suddenly arise. Often in uncomfortable places, so that you just can’t do anything with it. For example in the shower, on the toilet or running in the Delftse Hout 8 km from home without an iPhone dictaphone at hand. Moments like that. Often not at all convenient and badly timed. But the fact is that then a seed is planted and a first version of a song emerges. At this stage I almost always work solo. It is also difficult to plan when an idea arises. Fixing this in the calendar with others is not to be done.

Complex: a vague idea valuable deepening

So, the campfire version of a song stands. Now the song goes into the computer (for those in the know, I use Logic X) and the producing can begin. This involves enriching the bare song, which originated with just an acoustic guitar and a voice, with other instruments. Rhythm from the bass and drums, additional guitars, bit of piano and organ and we finish it off with strings and a choir. Anything that contributes to a better version of the bare song.

I write “we” here because at this stage I like to cooperate with others. On the one hand, because they are much smarter in using the software and technology of frequencies etc. On the other hand because a lot of creativity is needed in this phase. And when we come together with more bright minds, we also add many more cool ideas. This is a complex process of experimentation. Having an idea, recording the idea, listening back and assessing whether it works. And doing it over and over again. Inspect and Adapt. Super Agile, in other words. This domain is called “Complex” in the Cynefin framework. You don’t know exactly what works and how things work out. But by experimenting you discover what works and what doesn’t.

Complicated: finding routine

Nice that a song is in the computer, but it becomes even more fun when it is also played by the band. In our case, there are 4 musicians. It may be that many more instruments were added to the original during the previous stage. For example, we don’t have a pianist. We have to come up with something else for that in this phase. The domain we have now arrived at is called “Complicated.

This means that we have a direction for how to play the song as a band, but we also have to make choices. After all, we will have to make do with two acoustic guitars, bass and drums. We’re going to approach the song as best we can. Because we’ve been playing together for years, we know what we can do with each other. We have a whole toolbox full of possibilities that we can try out. The what and how are much clearer at this stage. Because we can rely on past experience, we often come to a good solution quickly.

Simple: the power of rehearsal and routine

The idea (domain Chaos) of a song is now worked out in the computer (domain Complex) and rehearsed in the rehearsal room (domain Complicated). The next step is to play it live. In the Cynefin framework, we have arrived at the domain Simple. Not that playing live is that simple. But in terms of the song, there are few ambiguities and uncertainties left. We know what the song should sound like, we have rehearsed our parts and rehearsed them countless times. We know what to do and how to do it. We have a best practice and routine. Of course we have to deal with variables like a stage, sound, lights and audience. But as a rule, this is very well taken care of with us. In doing so, we eliminate as many dependencies as possible, for example by arranging light and sound ourselves.

Conclusion: the value of the Cynefin framework

Choose your approach based on the problem in front of you. The problem determines the approach. And not the other way around. If you do, all too often the approach becomes the problem. Just like I did when I just started writing songs and rehearsing with a band. Then you’re wasting more energy on a process that has to work according to your beliefs, than you are adding value to your product or service. Or getting better as a band.

Most powerful are the companies that see that their organization is made up of both the domains Simple, Complicated, Complex and Chaos. And that each domain adds value. These companies avoid falling into Disorder by taking the right approach to each issue. And that is sometimes Agile and sometimes Lean and sometimes a completely different model. One size fits all is a thing of the past.