The Cynefin Framework is a critical framework that helps in navigating complexities. The DaVinci Institute’s Head of Faculty, Management of Innovation and Head of Programmes, Bachelor of Commerce and Postgraduate Diploma, Dr Mamohau Sekgaphane, shared with Higher Certificate students, during an onboarding session, by grounding participants in the metaphor of music and energy, highlighting how internal states influence group dynamics. She introduced the Cynefin Framework by Snowden and Kurtz as a powerful sense-making tool designed at IBM during a time of uncertainty.
The Framework Domains
The framework has four domains: Simple, Complicated, Complex, and Chaotic, with a central space of Disorder.
- In the Simple domain, things are known and repeatable, often leading to overconfidence. Dr Sekgaphane cautioned that being stuck in simplicity can result in stagnation, particularly when the context has shifted.
- The Complicated domain demands analysis and expertise, encouraging questioning and deliberate decision-making.
- In contrast, the Complex domain requires probing and curiosity, accepting that outcomes emerge rather than being predictable.
- The Chaotic domain, though seemingly disruptive, can spark innovation if harnessed intentionally.
She urged participants to examine where they and their organisations operate within this framework, reminding them that equilibrium and agility are achieved by navigating all domains rather than being trapped in one. Mastery, she noted, lies in fluidity, knowing when to sense, analyses, probe, or act decisively.
The Role of Energy and Team Dynamics
Dr Sekgaphane further introduced Harold Jarche’s energy matrix, which explores how team functionality is shaped by the interaction between agreement levels and social interaction. She illustrated three types of team structures:
- Coordinated: Low agreement and low social interaction; characterised by rigid top-down control and limited innovation.
- Collaborative: Moderate interaction and growing trust; still leader-led but allowing some autonomy.
- Cooperative: High agreement and high interaction; self-directed teams that embody systems thinking and agility.
She challenged participants to reflect on their organisational cultures and ask: Where do I sit? and How do I facilitate movement towards a more self-guided, collaborative structure?
TIPS Managerial Framework and Holistic Leadership
Linking back to the TIPS (Tools, Integration, People, Systems) managerial framework, Dr Sekgaphane reflected on the integration of belief systems and diverse worldviews in shaping inclusive leadership. She emphasised the importance of transdisciplinarity, heterogeneity, and embracing multiple truths, encouraging leaders to create safe spaces where team members can show up authentically.
In the context of religious and cultural diversity, she used the metaphor of integrating various belief systems under a common organisational framework. By doing so, systems become more inclusive and innovative. She challenged the idea of singular truth and stressed that heterogeneity strengthens system agility when diversity is embraced, not resisted.
Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR) and the Human Imperative
The DaVinci Institute’s Head of Faculty, Management of People and Head of Programmes, Higher Certificate, Advanced Certificate and Advanced Diploma, Prof Lucky Mathebula, transitioned the conversation to the Fifth Industrial Revolution, drawing on historical perspectives of prior revolutions. From mechanisation (1IR) to automation (3IR) and robotisation (4IR), each phase aimed to improve human productivity. However, 4IR increasingly displaced humans from the centre of value creation.
In 5IR, humanity is returning to focus, technology with empathy. Prof Mathebula explained that 5IR is the age of high cognition, requiring humans to think more and do less. As machines and AI take over routine tasks, humans must refine their creative, ethical, and emotional intelligence.
Technological Convergence and the 5IR Landscape
5IR is characterised by the convergence of technologies (AI, biotechnology, blockchain, IoT, etc.) and disciplines. This fusion gives rise to man-machine synergy, bioconvergence, and innovations such as designer babies and drone-operated warfare. He drew parallels between past pandemics, such as the 1918 Spanish Flu and COVID-19, as accelerators of technological adoption, explaining how crises often push latent innovations into mainstream usage (e.g., assembly lines and remote working technologies like Zoom or MS Teams).
Prof Mathebula warned that 5IR will fracture routine-based jobs, demanding that professionals reinvent their value propositions. Fields like insurance, healthcare, logistics, and education must adapt rapidly to automation, blockchain security, and data intelligence. Blended learning and transdisciplinary thinking are now essential tools for survival and innovation.
Future of Work and Ethical Reflections
Dr Sekgaphane and Prof Mathebula addressed the urgent need for ethical frameworks in technology and leadership. Prof Mathebula raised critical questions about biotechnology and AI, who defines what is ethical in a world of designer genetics and automated warfare? As face recognition and autonomous systems rise, privacy, autonomy, and identity must be reconsidered.
They called on participants to take full responsibility for their development. With 90% of modern learning occurring outside formal structures, through self-directed digital learning and life experience, the onus is on individuals to cultivate self-awareness, curiosity, and agility.
Rise, Reflect, Reframe
Closing with a nod to Andra Day’s song “Rise Up,” Dr Sekgaphane and Prof Mathebula reminded participants that the greatest revolution is internal. Leaders must reflect daily, observe their mental models, question assumptions, and commit to ongoing personal reinvention. In a world of converging crises and complexity, thinking frameworks like Cynefin, TIPS, and Jarche’s models provide tools to navigate uncertainty, but their power lies in active application and contextual adaptation.
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