How to Choose the Right Framework for Your Project

Discover three ways to select a framework for your problem-solving needs

5 min readSep 4, 2024

In this post we move from designing frameworks (post 1, post 2, post 3, post 4) to choosing a suitable framework for a particular problem.

I like to think of frameworks as scaffolding tools. They provide the necessary support and structure as we build our understanding of complex problems.

Just as scaffolding supports the construction of a building, allowing workers to reach different levels, frameworks enable us to explore various dimensions of an issue, offering a temporary but essential structure that guides our thinking. They help us organize our thoughts, identify key elements, and connect disparate ideas, all while allowing the flexibility to adapt and refine our approach as new insights emerge.

But, as with any tool, the key is selecting the right one for the job. Just as scaffolding is chosen based on the specific needs of a construction project, the right framework should be selected based on the unique requirements of the project at hand.

What’s your framing?

In business school, the exam of my change management course included proposing a mix of frameworks for a fictional consulting case study. I remember the task quite vividly — from all the frameworks I learned during my studies, how do I choose the right combination of frameworks for this particular situation? I experienced what Barry Schwartz describes as the choice paradox: Having too many options can lead to decision paralysis.

To reduce this choice overload, and as preparation for my change management exam, I organized all frameworks into seven categories: org culture, diversity, communication, analysis, strategy, goal setting, and implementation.

In hindsight, it was a bit of a wild mix of categorizations. But nonetheless, once I faced the fictional case study during the exam, this selection helped me get organized pretty quickly.

The categorization also reveals my frame of mind at the time: I was clearly oriented towards domain areas.

So what’s your framing? Frameworks are called frame-works because they frame something. They set boundaries, shaping how we approach and understand a problem. Here are three possible frames through which you might organize a selection:

Journey stages
Domain areas
Use cases

1. Journey Stages

Organize frameworks along the specific phases of a project lifecycle. I use the concept of Journey Stages, which is adapted from Peter Jones and Kirstel Van Ael’s book Design Journeys through Complex Systems.

Each stage — from initial exploration to implementation — can be supported by frameworks:

Framing the scope and boundaries of the project: Actors Map, Diffusion of Innovation Model, Environmental Scanning, Porter’s Five Forces
Analyzing the current activities and patterns in relation to the project: Gap Analysis, Value Chain Analysis, First Principle Thinking, Business Process Mapping
Generating insights about the project’s context and challenges: Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa), Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model, Scenario Planning
Envisioning possible futures desired by stakeholders: Three Horizons Framework, Blue Ocean Strategy, Value Proposition Canvas
Exploring strategies to make the desired future a reality: Lean Startup, Balanced Scorecard, COM-B & Behaviour Change Wheel
Planning how to execute these strategies: Roadmapping, OKRs, MoSCoW
Implementing the planned strategies: Kotter’s 8 Step Change Model, Kanban, Six Sigma

Consider the stages of your project. Are you at the initial exploration phase, or are you closer to implementation? Different frameworks are suited to different stages, so selecting one that aligns with your current stage — whether it’s for framing, analyzing, generating insights, or executing strategies — will ensure the framework provides the right kind of support.

2. Domain Areas

This categorization helps you find frameworks that are relevant to particular areas of expertise or disciplines. This is most useful when you’re looking for frameworks that are directly applicable to the specific subject matter domain you’re working within.

Here is a snapshot of some key domain areas (not a complete list) and their potential frameworks:

Change & transformation: Kotter’s 8 Step Change Model, Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model, Polarity Mapping
Leadership: C2E Transformational Leadership Model, Competing Values Framework
Strategy: Value Chain Analysis, Porter’s 5 Forces, Flywheel Effect
Innovation: DIBB Framework, Lean Startup, Three Horizons
Risk management: Kaplan’s and Mikes’ Risk Event Card, Types of Risks
Customer engagement: Customer Journey Mapping, Pirate Metrics

3. Use Cases

The third categorization emphasizes the practical application of the framework. I draw on the REDCAPE framework from Scott E. Page’s book The Model Thinker, which identifies seven uses or functions of models (paired with my suggestions for frameworks):

Reason — Figure out how different parts of a problem fit together and what makes things tick: Root Cause Analysis, First Principle Thinking, Decision Trees
Explain — Break things down and make them easy to understand: Logic Model, McKinsey 7S Framework
Design — Choose the right elements to build a system, a product, or even an organization: Business Model Canvas, SCAMPER, Opportunity Trees
Communicate — Share knowledge and understanding to make sure everyone’s on the same page: 7 Cs of Communication, WRAP Decision Process
Act — Guide real-world decisions and actions: OKRs, MoSCoW, Impact-Effort Matrix, Scientific Method
Predict — Forecast what might happen next: Scenario Planning, PERT
Explore — Investigate different possibilities and test out ideas to see what could happen: Three Horizons, Lean Startup

It’s Not About Finding the Perfect Framework

There are of course more frames to explore, like internal/ external to the org, explore/ exploit activities, stakeholder dynamics, or strategic horizons. For example, here’s a different method of filtering from ModelThinkers. My goal wasn’t to create a complete list of frames but to encourage you to think of your own, suitable for your work context.

This is an exercise in metacognition. After all, deep subject matter expertise will only get you so far. Knowing many frameworks that can be selected appropriate to context is more effective for solving complex problems. What matters is asking the right questions — what kind of problem or inquiry is this?

It’s not so much about finding the perfect framework but selecting the best at hand and being open to the sense-making process that follows. When in doubt, follow the Pareto principle: spend 20% of time to find a framework that’ll solve 80% of your problems. After all, “All models are wrong, some are useful” as the statistician George Box noted. No framework is perfect or complete. Frameworks are simplifications of reality. Their utility lies not in their perfection but in their ability to provide meaningful insights within the constraints of the situation. They are only ever reflections of our current mindset.

If you read this far, thank you for your attention. This was the last post of a 5-part series that will also be available to download as an e-book. Join my mailing list to get notified when it becomes available.