Here are a few frameworks that help you to work out what domain you might be working in as an organisation development consultant or a leader.

Stacey matrix

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Stacey RD. Strategic management and organisational dynamics: the challenge of complexity. 3rd ed. Harlow: Prentice Hall, 2002.

This tool lets you assess whether what you’re working on is simple, complicated, complex, on the edge of chaos, or chaotic. You could be certain something straightforward, however, if there is minimal agreement from others then it could become a complex problem to solve.

Cynefin framework

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Dave Snowden’s Cynefin Framework above helps define the domain you are working in, and overlaps in that regard with the Stacey matrix. And then gives an indication of how you should approach the problem or decision. For example, in a complex space, you might want to probe by creating an experiment, see what happens and then decide if you want to roll out an intervention wider.