safe-to-learn

Cynefin and GTD: when your next action is an experiment

In Getting Things Done, a next action is the next visible, physical activity needed to move something forward.

That might mean:

These actions move us towards completion. But in an uncertain situation, we may not yet know which route will produce the outcome we want.

Sometimes the next action needs to help us learn.

This is the third post in a short series exploring the Scrum Master role through the four main Cynefin domains:

The first post looked at the clear domain, where simple rules and repeatable practice can help.

The second post looked at the complicated domain, where teams need expertise, analysis and informed judgement.

This post looks at the complex domain.

In the complex domain, the relationship between cause and effect can only be understood afterwards.

The work is uncertain. The team cannot simply apply a checklist or ask an expert for the right answer. There may be no single right answer.

Instead, the team needs to learn through action.