Organizational Behaviour

Article 6

A Leaders Framework
for Decision Making
By David J. Snowden & Mary E. Boone

Presented by
Group 2
1
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A Leaders Framework
for Decision Making
About the Authors :
David John Snowden is a Welsh academic. He is the
founder and chief scientific officer of Cognitive Edge, a
research network focusing on complexity theory in sense
making.
Mary E Boone is the president of Boone Associates, a
consulting firm in Connecticut, USA and the author of
numerous books and articles, including Managing
Interactively.
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A Leaders Framework
for Decision Making

12/10/2014

A Leaders Framework
for Decision Making

Wise Executives tailor their approach to fit the

complexity of the circumstances they face !

Time old management techniques may not

necessarily be applicable to all scenarios.

The current times and complexity demands new

approaches and perspectives.
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A Leaders Framework
for Decision Making

Situation :
Jan 1993 : 7 people murdered in Palatine, Chicago.

Deputy Chief Walter Gasior : administrative

executive and spokesperson for the police dept.
Job : face situations that require a variety of
decisions and responses
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A Leaders Framework
for Decision Making

Managers rely on common leadership approaches

that work well in one set of circumstances but fall
short in others.

Circumstances change and as they become more

complex, the simplifications and assumptions can
fail.

Need for a new perspective based on complexity

science.
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A Leaders Framework
for Decision Making

Cynefin framework (ku-nev-in )

It signifies the multiple factors in our

environment and our experience that influence
us.

It enhances communication and helps executives

rapidly understand the context in which they are
operating.
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A Leaders Framework
for Decision Making

Cynefin framework

5th Disorder

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A Leaders Framework
for Decision Making

Cynefin framework

SIMPLE

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A Leaders Framework
for Decision Making

Cynefin framework

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COMPLICATED

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A Leaders Framework
for Decision Making

Cynefin framework

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COMPLEX

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A Leaders Framework
for Decision Making
CHAOTIC

Cynefin framework

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A Leaders Framework
for Decision Making

Cynefin framework

DISORDER

Applies when it is unclear which of the other four

contexts is predominant. The way out is to break
the situation into its constituent parts and assign
each to one of the other four realms.
Leaders can then make decisions and intervene in
contextually appropriate ways.
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A Leaders Framework
for Decision Making
Applications ~
The U.S. Defence Advanced Research
Projects Agency has applied the framework to
counterterrorism
Singapores Risk Assessment and Horizon
Scanning program.
pharmaceutical companies to develop a new
product strategy
Assisting a Canadian provincial government
in its efforts to engage employees in policy
making.

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A Leaders Framework
for Decision Making
Leadership ~
requires openness to change on an
individual level .
Efficient leaders will know how to identify
the contexts they are in , and change
their behaviour and decisions to match
those contexts .

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QUIZ TIME : LETS BRUSH UP !

1) Chief Gasior had to take immediate action to
minimize the initial panic by keeping the
community informed
CHAOTIC ( no pattern in cause and effect )

2) He had to help keep the dept. running routinely

and according to the established procedure.
SIMPLE (exact relation between cause and
effect)

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3) He had to call in experts for investigation

COMPLICATED (since it can have
multiple right answers)
4) He had to continue to calm the
community in the days and weeks
following the crime
COMPLEX (since it is the most
difficult situation to calm the mob)
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THANK YOU !
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