Beware of the cliff you do not see, that you should have seen!
If you are not familiar with the Cynefin Framework, please take a moment to watch this quick 12-minute Getting Started with Cynefin video: https://youtu.be/ogtpxA6brGo.
Below is a slightly embellished pictorial representation of the Cynefin Framework:
One of the most intriguing aspects of the framework is how it depicts complacency. It is so wonderfully simple. One moment, smooth sailing. And just like that, rough seas, we’re either in the North Atlantic or Lake Michigan, but cannot tell!
Did we see it coming? Could we have seen it coming?
As Dave Snowden indicates in the video, the line that crosses the boundary between Obvious and Chaos is a cliff.
Did we see it in our path? Could we have seen it before it was too late?
Of course, all of this is rather metaphorical. There is no real cliff. But in the world of business analogies, “Going over the cliff” is among many accepted cliff-related analogies. Assuming for argument’s sake the analogy works, then what of it? What does it mean tangibly in a business sense? What can we do about it? If we find ourselves with that feeling that what we thought was obvious, is in fact chaotic from our point of view, what then? It’s an important question to ask because we are, in a very real sense, heading toward that metaphorical cliff. And it can indeed appear that this incident “Just happened!”
Almost without exception, through inspection, the seeds were sown for this latest emergency, sometime before, often weeks, months, or years before.
As a practical example, consider web certificates. They eventually expire. Unless there is some process by which people, through some tooling that cooperatively and collectively define a system, can proactively avoid The Cliff, then whether the cliff is avoided or not rests with luck and luck alone.
That’s why the e-commerce site went down, an expired cert?
How did that happen? …………… We don’t know.
Right there, at that moment, whenever a necessary question can’t be answered, that’s precisely the time to not be complacent! Even if there is some mechanism to preserve the environment so that events can be later analyzed. The key is, there must be a commitment to action and the discipline to see to it the action is taken. And to do that, there must be enablement, from within each person on the team because it is usually the case that each person on the team, is the most important link. If there are breaks in the linkage or leaks in the system, they must be remediated, if not now, then as soon as possible. But above all, we must at least prepare the ground today for the necessary remediations that will eventually need to be implemented!
How else does Technical Debt accrue?
There may be no better real-world non-business analogy than maintaining any sort of landscaping. It takes work. There are different seasons, adverse weather, grass needs cutting, plants and shrubs need trimming, and everything needs to be fed and watered. In many ways, our business systems are no different. Get complacent, the garden begins to overgrow, perhaps to the point of going over the cliff where the vines are so chaotic, everything must be ripped out, only to begin anew.
That’s the insidious nature of technical debt and it is no more complicated than that. Some technical debt always exists. Not all necessary work can commence and be accomplished immediately. Therefore, as to technical debut, it’s a matter of management. And the best way to manage how technical debt is accrued is to be proactive and review our systems for hygiene, much like what must be done to maintain a garden, household, or anything else.
The best way to get started is to just start with something achievable that if achieved, will have a positive impact. It really is that simple and fits together quite nicely. Through technical debt remediation, we add to the Value Stream. The Cynefin Framework, by and through Agile Lean Leadership is a sound approach to beginning your path. Once you’ve taken the first step, the second step will be much easier. And in so doing, you’ll have a happier and more harmonious organization by knowing where the “Complacency cliffs” are and steering clear of them!
“It ain’t the things you don’t know that gets you into trouble; it’s the things you know for sure, that just ain’t so!” –Mark Twain.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Read Cookie Policy
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement
1 year
Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category .
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
qtrans_front_language
1 year
This cookie is set by qTranslate WordPress plugin. The cookie is used to manage the preferred language of the visitor.
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Cookie
Duration
Description
_ga
2 years
The _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
_ga_LZVW3TXPL7
2 years
This cookie is installed by Google Analytics.
_gat_gtag_UA_148913983_2
1 minute
Set by Google to distinguish users.
_gid
1 day
Installed by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
CONSENT
2 years
YouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Cookie
Duration
Description
IDE
1 year 24 days
Google DoubleClick IDE cookies are used to store information about how the user uses the website to present them with relevant ads and according to the user profile.
NID
6 months
NID cookie, set by Google, is used for advertising purposes; to limit the number of times the user sees an ad, to mute unwanted ads, and to measure the effectiveness of ads.
test_cookie
15 minutes
The test_cookie is set by doubleclick.net and is used to determine if the user's browser supports cookies.
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE
5 months 27 days
A cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface.
YSC
session
YSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages.
yt-remote-connected-devices
never
YouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
yt-remote-device-id
never
YouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
yt.innertube::nextId
never
This cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.
yt.innertube::requests
never
This cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.