We expect leadership teams to find innovative solutions to business challenges, and yet rarely give any consideration to how to solve these challenges. Current thinking is leading us to understand that different types of problems lie in different complexity domains, and require different ways of solving them. And the mix of solution types is shifting, meaning our traditional approaches to problem solving are not always suited to the new problems we encounter.

The Cynefin framework, introduced by Dave Snowdon, provides a simple model to understand the types of problems and how to solve them. Using Cynefin and complexity thinking can accelerate organizational learning by recognizing the problem domain for a particular situation and knowing what class of solution is appropriate. Recognizing the complexity of a problem is a behavior that will enhance learning, and failing to recognize it may restrict learning within the community.

As managers and leaders, we need to understand what types of problems we encounter, and which tools and approaches are best in each case. Using a series of Lego exercises, participants will experience each problem domain, from simple to complicated to complex to chaotic, and emerge different approaches to problem solving in each domain. Some will work, some won't. You will experience the importance of choosing the right approach for each problem domain, and what happens when we use the wrong approach to solve a problem.

Expect to understand what type of system you are dealing with by recognizing when practices stop working, and learn to decode what is happening in terms of organizational structures and communication in that specific system.