The Cynefin framework was developed by Dave Snowden in 1999 (it’s the Welsh word for “habitat” and is pronounced “kun-NEV-in.”)
When you’re making decisions about something, you’re interacting with a context / domain / system. This framework divides contexts into four types: Simple, Complicated, Complex, and Chaotic. If you can’t even tell which type of system you’re in, that’s Disorder!
Depending on the kind of system you’re in, there’s a different approach that suits it best. In Simple & Complicated systems, you can plan, categorize, & analyze before starting to act. In Complex & Chaotic systems, you need to interact with the system first, in order to even find out what’s happening.
The main BGI workshop modules are a great fit for navigating Simple and Complicated systems. With the Integration module, and iterating back through the steps, you have a feedback mechanism that can help you adapt to any shape of system.
Note that because people (including you!) are Complex systems, there is a basic sense in which everything you do has elements of Complexity. However, for some short-term or very well-defined things you can lean into the Simple or Complicated elements to design and organize before acting.