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Managing Change in Challenging

Times:Choosing the Right Change Approach

By Randall Benson, MBA

The banking industry today is

navigating a sea of change.

HR and training professionals can

equip employees to sail through

these turbulent waters.

Employees who handle

change well reach their

objectives.

Here’s evidence.

In virtually every circumstance,

some change strategies are

dramatically better than others.

By choosing the right change

strategy, the odds of succes

skyrocket.

The Cynefin Framework helps people

choose a successful change strategy.

The Cynefin Framework is an

outgrowth of complexity theory.

Cynefin starts out with three

system states:

The Ordered state is divided

to add granularity.

The result is four Cynefin

domains.O

rdere

dN

on-o

rdere

d

Complex Complicated

SimpleChaotic

Disordered

The Cynefin Framework uses system states.

Systematic Practice

Best Practice

Emergent Practice

Novel Practice

OrderNon-order

Complex Complicated

SimpleChaotic

Find the domain for the problem.

SenseCategorize

Respond

Known, Non-obviousUnknown

Known, ObviousUnknowable

SenseAnalyzeRespond

ProbeSense

Respond

ActSense

Respond

Disordered

Complex Complicated

SimpleChaotic

Tailor your change strategy to the domain.

Best PracticesTraining

Good PracticesImprovement Projects

Emergent PracticesExploration

Novel Practices/Pure Science

Crisis Management

e.g. PDCA improvement method

e.g. “Leaning” a value stream

e.g. creating the fastest ER

e.g. blunting outrage

Disordered

Complex Complicated

SimpleChaotic

Let actions be guided by outcomes.

Follow a proven(systematic) roadmap

Explore, discover, apply

Train everyone to standards

Stabilize

Want best practices

Want improved practicesWant breakthrough

Want restored order

Disordered

Disorder

Past ExperiencePersonal Preference

Past ExperiencePersonal Preference

Past ExperiencePersonal Preference

Past ExperiencePersonal Preference

Be mindful of disorder.

Complex Complicated

SimpleChaotic

Danger: look out for the cliff!

Disordered

Complex Complicated

SimpleChaotic

Go where the potential for innovation is high.

Disordered

Complex Complicated

SimpleChaotic

If lacking engagement, change your domain.

Disengagement

Highly constrained,no degrees of freedom

Low Engagement

Significantly constrained,limited freedom,defer to experts

High Engagement

Limited constraints,freedom to explore & discover

Active Disengagement

Lacking constraints,tyranny of the situation

Disordered

Use Cynefin to find the domain for your problem.

Tailor your change strategy to the domain.

Let actions be guided by outcomes.

Be mindful of disorder.

Danger: look out for the cliff!

Go where the potential for innovation is high.

If lacking engagement, change your domain.

Remember these seven Cynefin guidelines.

Charting a course to successful change starts

with choosing the right change strategy.

The Cynefin Framework will help people

choose a successful change strategy.

Randall Benson

Available on amazon.com

Managing Change in Challenging

Times:Choosing the Right Change Approach

By Randall Benson, MBA

• rbenson@bensonconsulting.com

• BensonConsulting.com

• QuestEffect.com

• 206-527-5343

Thank You!