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<blockquote><div class="quotetitle">Quote from <a class="profile-link highlight-admin" href="https://pmri.in/forum/profile/pmdistilled/">pmdistilled</a> on 23/05/2025, 11:15 PM</div>
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<p class="has-medium-font-size">The <strong>Stacey Matrix</strong> is a decision-making and management framework created by <strong>Ralph D. Stacey</strong>. It helps leaders determine the most appropriate approach to managing situations based on two dimensions:</p>

<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Dimensions of the Stacey Matrix:</h3>

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<li class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Degree of Certainty (X-axis)</strong> – How certain are we about what will happen?</li>

<li class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Level of Agreement (Y-axis)</strong> – How much agreement is there about what should be done?</li>
</ol>

<p class="has-medium-font-size">Using these axes, the matrix categorizes problems into four key zones:</p>

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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>1. Simple / Close to Certainty and Agreement</strong></h3>

<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li class="has-medium-font-size">High certainty and high agreement</li>

<li class="has-medium-font-size">Cause-and-effect relationships are clear.</li>

<li class="has-medium-font-size">Best handled with standard operating procedures, best practices, or project management.</li>

<li class="has-medium-font-size">Example: Routine tasks like payroll processing.</li>
</ul>

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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>2. Complicated</strong></h3>

<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li class="has-medium-font-size">High certainty but low agreement, or vice versa.</li>

<li class="has-medium-font-size">Requires <strong>analysis</strong>, expert judgment, and planning.</li>

<li class="has-medium-font-size">Best managed with traditional project management, <strong>engineering</strong>, or <strong>consultation</strong>.</li>

<li class="has-medium-font-size">Example: Building a bridge, where the process is known but many expert opinions exist.</li>
</ul>

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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>3. Complex</strong></h3>

<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li class="has-medium-font-size">Low certainty and low agreement</li>

<li class="has-medium-font-size">No clear answers upfront; outcomes emerge through experimentation and interaction.</li>

<li class="has-medium-font-size">Best addressed with Agile, Scrum, iterative approaches, or design thinking.</li>

<li class="has-medium-font-size">Example: Product development in a rapidly changing market.</li>
</ul>

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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>4. Chaotic</strong></h3>

<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li class="has-medium-font-size">Very low certainty and no agreement</li>

<li class="has-medium-font-size">No clear cause-and-effect relationships.</li>

<li class="has-medium-font-size">Requires immediate action to restore order before applying other methods.</li>

<li class="has-medium-font-size">Best approached with <strong>crisis management</strong>, <strong>intuition</strong>, and <strong>rapid response</strong>.</li>

<li class="has-medium-font-size">Example: Natural disasters or emergencies.</li>
</ul>

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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Summary Table:</h3>

<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><th>Zone</th><th>Certainty</th><th>Agreement</th><th>Approach</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Simple</td><td>High</td><td>High</td><td>Best practices, SOPs</td></tr><tr><td>Complicated</td><td>High</td><td>Low</td><td>Expert analysis, planning</td></tr><tr><td>Complex</td><td>Low</td><td>Low</td><td>Agile, iteration, discovery</td></tr><tr><td>Chaotic</td><td>Very Low</td><td>Very Low</td><td>Act quickly, stabilize</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>
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