The CDE Model
The CDE Model enables you to look more deeply into the hidden patterns of life and work that are happening all around you. You get an idea of the conditions creating those patterns and how changing the conditions, such as your assumptions and values can shift those patterns to deliver more of what is wanted.
The patterns that shape our lives, the success, the joys, the challenges, the opportunities are the patterns of complex interactions that we experience in the normal flow of everyday life. These patterns are shaped by the interdependent influences of three conditions in those systems. The emergence of patterns is governed by the interplay among the conditions:
Container: Similarities that contain the system while patterns emerge (C);
Differences: The significant distinctions that hold tension and have the greatest influence on decision and action (D); and
Exchanges: Connections in the system that ensure the movement of information, energy, and other resources (E).
These conditions shape the behaviour of people as they interact to organise themselves. The dominating culture and rules that shape those interactions bind them together such that they will compromise and cooperation across their differences to generate new patterns of behavior and thought. Glenda Eoyang from the Human Systems Dynamics Institute discovered these conditions in her research into the conditions for self-organisation.
Containers
Containers can be physical boundaries, such as a room or a building. They can also be a psychological or emotional connection that gives rise to given patterns of behaviour. A strong, charismatic leader, an employing organisation, the love of a child, fear of the future — all of these are containers that can shape patterns of interaction and decision making. A container may be as simple as the agenda for a meeting, creating the length, time, content, and discussion. Or a container may be as complex as the history, social agreements, shared experiences, and language of a cultural.
As you look at the tension points inside the container, notice what patterns are holding it together, giving it coherence or an identity. But is there too much constraint in the container? For example, do you need more time for the meeting? More space for the party? Broader acceptance of new ideas? All of those point to the need to expand the container. At the same time, you may notice that there is not enough constraint. Change is not happening fast enough. People get sluggish or irritable in a meeting because they are bored or have time to talk about things that don’t really matter. This points to the need to tighten the container by focusing on what those attending care about, perhaps scheduling less time or inviting fewer people.
Differences
What the differences that are making a difference? These differences provide the potential for change and the emergence of new patterns as people negotiate and accommodate the what separates. These will be differences that are most critical to the system’s viability.
The differences you might pay attention will be differences in degree, in terms of better or worse, more or less, faster or slower, bigger or smaller. there may be differences in skill level, amount of understanding or influence over patterns of interaction that could dominate conversations. On the other hand, difference may be represented by the kind of diversity that’s present, say leadership skills vs accounting skills. Introducing a new dimension can change the dynamics in the interactions.
Exchanges
These are new actions or rules that change the way people interact. For example, feedback, dialogue, entertainment and conversation. There are multiple ways in which people can inject new information, energy and other resources. Rules shape what is acceptable or allowed activity. Individual experiences or research data can help people form different opinions and stimulate new insights.
When you explore systems in this way you increase the options available on which to choose wiser action that can influence patterns of interaction in a positive way, fostering greater coherence and resilience.
Use the CDE Model on your next sticky issue to:
Understand the dynamics of the patterns that shape the problem.
Identify options for action to influence those patterns.
Take action to change the conditions and bring about change, and then see what’s next.
EXPLORE THIS MODEL IN MORE DETAIL HERE
PRACTICES & MODELS
THE HUMAN OBSERVER
– Noticing what’s happening and sensing what could be hidden from you.
THE CDE MODEL
– Identifying the conditions and rules that produce different patterns of interaction
THE OAR MODEL
– Improving your observation skills to choose actions to will deliver what you care about.
THE SCARF MODEL
– Identifying the core concerns that shape your emotional responses
ONTOLOGICAL LEARNING
– Understanding how to change your Way of Being
THE PSYCHIC SYSTEM
– Knowing how to change your Way of Being to fit the prevailing context
ONTOLOGICAL BREAKDOWNS
– Dealing with disruptions in the flow of your life
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
– How you give meaning to to your experience of internal senses and external events.
QUADRANTS OF CHANGE
– Achieving a more holistic and balanced response to complex situations.
ACTION LOGICS
– Assessing leadership behaviour and effectiveness in different contexts
THE U PROCESS
– Using your senses to improve your effectiveness now to shape your future.
SPIRAL DYNAMICS
– Explaining the growth of human capacity and values
THE HERO’S JOURNEY
– Finding a bigger purpose and passion to lead your life from.
ACTIVE LISTENING
– Knowing how to actively listen for understanding and empathy
REFRAMING
– Looking for possibilities to question and reshape perspectives.
THE OODA LOOP
– Achieving a bigger impact when working with other people
ADAPTIVE ACTION
– Examining the dynamic patterns of thought involved in decision making
THE LENS OF INQUIRY
Using the power of questions to get breakthrough results.
THE NINE PANES MODEL
– Discovering new perspecives when dealing with breakdowns in the flow of life.
THE JOHARI WINDOW
– Identifying alternatives to unseen or disruptive behaviour
THE FOUR TRUTHS
– Recognising and considering alternative perspectives in any situation
THE CIRCLE OF CONTROL, INFLUENCE & CONCERN
– Clarifying how you interpret what you see, hear and feel.
THE MIRACLE QUESTION
– In your ideal world, what do you want to be feeligs, thinking and doing?
A “BOTH/AND” PERSPECTIVE
– Dealing with paradox and ambiguity.
THE ADAPTIVE CYCLES
– Resisting breakdown and maintaining your viability for a breakthrough.
CREATING A WELL-FORMED OUTCOME
– Reducing the chance of facing unintended consequences.
WAY OF BEING
– Connecting words, emotions and body presence to be more effective.
CYNEFIN
– A sensemaking framework to help you crack different types of problems.
YOUR INNATE WISDOM
– Knowing what makes you who you are and using it to lead a more fulfilling life.
– Noticing what’s happening and sensing what could be hidden from you.
THE CDE MODEL
– Identifying the conditions and rules that produce different patterns of interaction
THE OAR MODEL
– Improving your observation skills to choose actions to will deliver what you care about.
THE SCARF MODEL
– Identifying the core concerns that shape your emotional responses
ONTOLOGICAL LEARNING
– Understanding how to change your Way of Being
THE PSYCHIC SYSTEM
– Knowing how to change your Way of Being to fit the prevailing context
ONTOLOGICAL BREAKDOWNS
– Dealing with disruptions in the flow of your life
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
– How you give meaning to to your experience of internal senses and external events.
QUADRANTS OF CHANGE
– Achieving a more holistic and balanced response to complex situations.
ACTION LOGICS
– Assessing leadership behaviour and effectiveness in different contexts
THE U PROCESS
– Using your senses to improve your effectiveness now to shape your future.
SPIRAL DYNAMICS
– Explaining the growth of human capacity and values
THE HERO’S JOURNEY
– Finding a bigger purpose and passion to lead your life from.
ACTIVE LISTENING
– Knowing how to actively listen for understanding and empathy
REFRAMING
– Looking for possibilities to question and reshape perspectives.
THE OODA LOOP
– Achieving a bigger impact when working with other people
ADAPTIVE ACTION
– Examining the dynamic patterns of thought involved in decision making
THE LENS OF INQUIRY
Using the power of questions to get breakthrough results.
THE NINE PANES MODEL
– Discovering new perspecives when dealing with breakdowns in the flow of life.
THE JOHARI WINDOW
– Identifying alternatives to unseen or disruptive behaviour
THE FOUR TRUTHS
– Recognising and considering alternative perspectives in any situation
THE CIRCLE OF CONTROL, INFLUENCE & CONCERN
– Clarifying how you interpret what you see, hear and feel.
THE MIRACLE QUESTION
– In your ideal world, what do you want to be feeligs, thinking and doing?
A “BOTH/AND” PERSPECTIVE
– Dealing with paradox and ambiguity.
THE ADAPTIVE CYCLES
– Resisting breakdown and maintaining your viability for a breakthrough.
CREATING A WELL-FORMED OUTCOME
– Reducing the chance of facing unintended consequences.
WAY OF BEING
– Connecting words, emotions and body presence to be more effective.
CYNEFIN
– A sensemaking framework to help you crack different types of problems.
YOUR INNATE WISDOM
– Knowing what makes you who you are and using it to lead a more fulfilling life.