Learning to understand complexity – with the Cynefin model

Why listening, mindfulness, and genuine connection help us remain capable of action in a confusing world

Complexity shapes our lives – whether in organizations, relationships, or our personal everyday lives. We move in a world characterized by dynamism, interconnectedness, and constant change. Every day, we face situations whose connections we don’t immediately understand. What was valid yesterday may already be outdated today.

In this reality, the ability to understand and deal with complexity is becoming enormously important. A helpful compass in this area of ​​tension is the Cynefin model by knowledge manager Dave Snowden. It helps us classify situations and derive appropriate action – without hastily providing simple answers to complex questions.

But knowledge alone is not enough. To truly find our bearings in complex contexts, we need something deeper: the ability to listen mindfully, to shift perspectives, to truly connect – with others and with ourselves.

This blog post explores what this means – and how formats like the Council can help strengthen these skills.

Complexity is not complicated – a change of perspective with the Cynefin model

The terms complicated and complex are often mistakenly equated – but it is precisely this distinction that holds the key to a better understanding of our current challenges. The Cynefin model, developed by Dave Snowden, offers a differentiated perspective on the various types of situations we face. It invites us to pause, take a closer look – and not rush into solutions where orientation is needed first.

The model distinguishes five areas:

• Simple: Here, clear cause-and-effect relationships exist. Solutions are known, standards help. The classic example: a cooking recipe.
• Complicated: Here, too, solutions are possible – but only through analysis or expert knowledge. Repairing a car is complicated, but doable.
• Complex: In this area, cause and effect cannot be clearly determined. It’s about recognizing patterns, experimenting, and using feedback. Many interpersonal and organizational processes fall into this area.
• Chaotic: There is no discernible order here. Quick decisions are needed to establish initial stability before analysis is possible.
• Aporetic (also: diffuse, confused, anarchic): This area represents confusion, the area that appears at the center of the model. It is not yet clear whether the issues belong to the ordered or disordered area. It requires analysis to clarify the situation.

Movement Between Domains

When we gain more knowledge, we move clockwise from chaos through complex and complicated situations to clear solutions. On the other hand, prejudice, complacency, or neglect can lead us to fail and fall back into chaos. This regression is represented by the connection between domains. Sometimes we can also move counterclockwise when people die and knowledge is lost, or when new generations question existing rules. Conversely, we can also move from chaos to clear solutions when new rules are suddenly introduced because there was no order before.

Complexity, in particular, challenges us because we can no longer plan and control as usual. What helps? Not quick action, but conscious perception. Not a ready-made answer, but the ability to listen – to the system, to those involved, to the small changes that provide clues.

The Cynefin model makes it clear: In a complex world, we need a different attitude. One that can withstand uncertainty. Mindfulness invites. It slows down the automaton in the brain—and activates the diplomat. And this is precisely where a different kind of listening begins. A space in which new perspectives can emerge.

Addressing Complexity – With Genuine Listening

In a complex world, it’s no longer enough to give quick answers or optimize processes. Rather, it’s about creating spaces where we allow ourselves not to know immediately – but to truly listen first. This may sound unusual, but especially in situations where cause and effect are unclear, listening is one of the most effective practices.

Listening is not passive. It’s a conscious decision to be present with all of your senses. It means muting your inner commentator, not thinking about your own response while the other person is still speaking. It means remaining curious, even if what you hear initially irritates you or doesn’t fit into your own worldview.

Especially when dealing with complex issues – be it in a company, in a team, or in social issues – it’s about perceiving different perspectives. People experience situations differently. And this is precisely what makes it possible to identify blind spots, discover patterns, and develop new approaches.

Conscious listening interrupts the automatism. It pulls us out of the trance of rapid thinking that takes over our primacy in stressful situations. When we listen attentively, the space between stimulus and response expands – this is where real change begins. Mindfulness supports us in staying present, recognizing our own patterns, and responding more compassionately – with ourselves and others.

In everyday life, this can mean:

• Not immediately judging in a conversation, but first accepting what has been said.
• Consciously incorporating pauses in meetings so that what has been said can resonate.
• Creating structures within the company that promote connection and genuine listening – for example, through an entrepreneur council.

Because the more complexity is involved, the more important a culture of mindful listening becomes. Not as a technique, but as an attitude.

Complex contexts require new forms of dialogue.

In complex situations, it is not helpful to rely on linear processes or simple cause-and-effect relationships. What’s needed here is collective intelligence – the ability of a group to deal with uncertainty, ambiguity, and change. And this ability doesn’t unfold in discussions about being right. It emerges where there’s space for genuine sharing, listening, and collaborative research.

The Council is precisely such a space. It’s a structured dialogue format in which people come together to listen – not to convince. To speak – not to argue. And to encounter themselves and each other – not to force a solution.

In the Council, people speak from the heart, listen to each other without interruption, and give each other the space to share their experiences. This type of dialogue has a decelerating effect – and thus makes it possible to step out of reactivity mode. The automaton becomes quieter, the diplomat more active. Suddenly, there’s room again for connection, for reflection, for wonder. And that’s exactly what’s needed, especially in complex challenges.

Such formats reveal what is often lost in traditional conversations:

• That the other person’s perspective often complements our own.
• That we don’t have to act immediately – but must first perceive.
• That uncertainty is not something to be avoided, but something we can live and work with.

In companies in particular, it becomes clear how powerful such spaces can be: When teams stop drowning each other out – and instead start listening to each other, a new form of collaboration emerges. It’s no longer about who’s right, but rather about what we want to create together.

That’s not always comfortable – but this is precisely where the transformative power of mindful connection lies.

Connection as an inner attitude when dealing with complexity

Complexity cannot simply be resolved. It is not a problem that can be analyzed and then solved linearly – rather, it requires us to remain present, even when things are unclear or contradictory. This is precisely where our inner attitude becomes crucial. Because: Not everything we don’t immediately understand is wrong. And not everything we’re used to still makes sense.

Connecting with oneself is the foundation. When I’m in touch with my thoughts, feelings, and reactions—when I approach myself with kindness—then I can handle uncertainty differently. I react less impulsively, act less out of fear, and instead begin to observe consciously. This ability—to stay present while things unfold—is a form of inner stability that is worth its weight in gold in complex contexts.

Mindfulness supports precisely this process: It makes it possible to separate stimulus and response. I notice when my automatic response kicks in—and I can pause, breathe, and perhaps find a new answer. This creates freedom of choice.

Listening, as practiced in the Council, opens the space for a true diversity of perspectives. When we manage not to immediately judge other people through our own filters, but to perceive them with an open heart, then connection arises—not as a feeling, but as an attitude. This form of co-creation is particularly necessary in complex situations. Because no one holds the truth alone.

Council as a ritual strengthens precisely this ability: to think together without immediately judging. To ask questions together without immediately answering. The connection in the circle allows for the not-knowing to find space. And for something new to emerge from it.

Confronting complexity also means letting go of control to some extent – ​​and opening ourselves up to both inner and outer diversity. If we can lead ourselves well, if we have the courage to hold uncertainty and think together, a space emerges in which not only solutions are possible – but also development.

Conclusion: Complexity requires connection, mindfulness, and the courage to not know.

In a world that is increasingly revealing itself as complex, dynamic, and unpredictable, simple answers are rarely viable. The Cynefin Model offers a helpful map to classify the type of situation we are currently dealing with – and makes clear how diverse our approaches must be. Especially in complex situations, it’s not the quick fix that counts, but the ability to stay present, observe, and learn.

Mindfulness helps break automatisms and become more aware of oneself and others. Listening, especially in formats like the Council, enables genuine exchange – beyond judgments and hasty reactions. This creates spaces in which new ideas, understanding, and sustainable relationships can grow.

Connection – with ourselves, with others, with the situation – is not a luxury. It’s a compass. Those who practice not having to immediately categorize everything, but remain open, can not only contain complexity but also help shape it.

And therein lies a great opportunity: in developing an attitude that approaches life in all its complexity with clarity, presence, and compassion.