In complex or chaotic domains, review schemas more…
In complex or chaotic Cynefin domains, increase schema review frequency beyond what the pace layer suggests because unpredictability generates more frequent anomalies requiring evaluation.
When This Fires
- When operating in complex environments (startups, rapidly changing markets, novel technology adoption)
- When schemas that worked last month keep producing unexpected results
- During organizational change, market disruption, or technology transitions
- When the rate of anomalies exceeds what the current review cadence can process
Common Failure Mode
Applying stable-domain review cadences to complex domains: "Quarterly review worked at my last company." But your last company was operating in a complicated domain with discoverable cause-effect. Your current startup is in a complex domain with emergent cause-effect. The same cadence produces schema staleness because anomalies accumulate between reviews.
The Protocol
When determining review cadence: (1) Classify the domain using Cynefin: is cause-effect clear (obvious), discoverable (complicated), retrospective (complex), or absent (chaotic)? (2) Apply the multiplier: obvious/complicated → use pace-layer cadence as-is. Complex → double the review frequency. Chaotic → continuous monitoring with triggered reviews. (3) If your anomaly log (Accumulate anomalies on a running list — trigger schema…) is filling faster than your review cadence can process → the domain is more complex than you classified it. Increase frequency.