Dave Snowden

Jim talks with Dave Snowden about the document he co-authored, "Managing Complexity (And Chaos) In Times of Crisis." They discuss the Cynefin framework, its development into a complexity-informed framework, distinguishing complex from complicated, emergence, enabling constraints vs governing constraints, openness in complex systems, short-term teleology vs top-down causality, lines of flight, six sigma, Taylorism, distributed decision-making, the meaning of crisis, preparing for unknowable unknowns, plagues & heat deaths, false learnings of Covid, the order of origin of language & semiotics, building informal networks, exaptation, the right level of granularity, setting Draconian constraints, preserving optionality, anticipatory thinking, comprehensive journaling, LLMs & the recent open letter, the need for ethical awareness, scales of group decision-making, documenters & doers, the aporetic, Covid as a boon to complexity work, cadence vs velocity, ritual in American football, designing strategic interventions with stories, vector theory of change, constructor theory, making the cost of virtue less than the cost of sin, dispositional management, an upcoming book, and much more. Episode Transcript JRS EP11 - Dave Snowden and Systems Thinking "Managing complexity (and chaos) in times of crisis," by Dave Snowden and others The Emergence of Everything: How the World Became Complex, by Harold J. Morowitz JRS EP138 - W. Brian Arthur on the Nature of Technology JRS EP143 - John Vervaeke Part 1: Awakening from the Meaning Crisis Dave Snowden divides his time between two roles: founder Chief Scientific Officer of Cognitive Edge and the founder and Director of the Centre for Applied Complexity at the University of Wales. His work is international in nature and covers government and industry looking at complex issues relating to strategy, organisational decision making and decision making. He has pioneered a science based approach to organisations drawing on anthropology, neuroscience and complex adaptive systems theory. He is a popular and passionate keynote speaker on a range of subjects, and is well known for his pragmatic cynicism and iconoclastic style.

Dave Snowden, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of The Cynefin Company, dives into the complexities of organizational management. He discusses the Cynefin Framework, emphasizing how it helps leaders navigate ordered, complex, and chaotic systems. The conversation also critiques traditional systems thinking and explores the impact of AI on decision-making. Snowden draws parallels between nature's swarming bees and human adaptability, highlighting the role of diverse perspectives in problem-solving and the importance of understanding crew dynamics in high-pressure environments.

Dave Snowden, the creator of the Cynefin Framework and expert in complexity science, shares his insights on navigating modern educational challenges. He critiques rigid educational norms, advocating for a dynamic and collective approach to learning. The conversation delves into the intricate interplay between anthropology and education, calling for a deeper understanding of social contexts in teaching. Snowden also examines the impact of AI on education, emphasizing the necessity of human engagement, creativity, and adaptability in fostering effective learning environments.

Dave Snowden, a leading expert in complexity theory, dives into the intricacies of decision-making in uncertain environments. He explains the Cynefin Framework, emphasizing its role in contextualizing complex challenges. Snowden critiques traditional decision-making approaches and advocates for innovative, hypothesis-driven strategies. He also explores the interplay of technology and human judgment, advocating for a balance between the two. Additionally, he discusses the importance of narrative and diverse perspectives in navigating complexity, offering insights that enhance organizational adaptability.

Send us Fan MailDave Snowden is the creator of the Cynefin Framework and originated the design of SenseMaker®, the world’s first distributed ethnography tool. He is the lead author of Managing Complexity (and Chaos) in Times of Crisis: A Field Guide for Decision-makers, a shared effort between the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Commission’s science and knowledge service, and the Cynefin Centre.Mark, Ponch, and Dave have a wide ranging talk about Dave’s work and its connection to the work and theories of John Boyd.Be sure to use the Chapters Feature on Apple and Spotify to quickly browse and navigate to segments of this episode.//Dave Snowden and links to his work//Dave Snowden BiographyDave Snowden SensemakerCynefin Workshops//Books and briefs mentioned in this episode//"The New Killer App: The OODA Loop and Cynefin Framework"  –  by Brian Rivera How the Leopard Changed Its Spots  –  by Brian GoodwinCynefin: Weaving Sense-Making into the Fabric of Our World  –  by Dave Snowden Grammatical Man, Information, Entropy, Language, and Life  –  by Jeremy CampbellCybernetics  –  by F. H. George//Theories mentioned in this episode//The Cynefin Framework//The Papers of John R. Boyd//John R. Boyd Collection, COLL/2949, Archives Branch, Marine Corps History Division, Quantico, VA.Stay connected with No Way Out and The Whirl Of ReOrientationX: @NoWayOutcast · @PonchAGLX · @NoWayOutMooseSubstack: The Whirl Of ReOrientation - www.thewhirl.substack.com

In this insightful discussion, Dave Snowden, the innovative creator of the Cynefin Framework, and Tim Adalin delve into the nuances of artificial intelligence versus human reasoning. Snowden argues that AI lacks true intelligence, highlighting the risk of cognitive atrophy in humans. They explore complex issues like the difference between metacrisis and polycrisis in societal dynamics, the role of religion in identity formation, and adaptations in modern warfare strategies. Additionally, they emphasize the importance of local insights and community engagement for systemic change.

Dave Snowden, polymathic complexity practitioner and creator of the Cynefin framework, explores anthro-complexity and what makes humans distinct. He discusses entanglement over simple relationships, why workshops fail and immersion works, the rise of deme structures and new cultural roles, and the urgent risks pushing societies to reinvent decision-making and shared living.

Lately various voices have been raised in critique of adult development models, and the way coaches implement them in their work with clients. In this conversation with management consultant and researcher Dave Snowden we explore some of the fundamental issues with models of adult development, how more fluid stories of self can be more constructive in facilitating change and Dave’s complexity science-based approach to coaching. Dave Snowden is a management consultant and researcher in the field of knowledge management and the application of complexity science. Known for the development of the Cynefin framework, he is the founder and chief scientific officer of Cognitive Edge, a Singapore-based management consulting firm specializing in complexity and sensemaking. He has authored several articles and book chapters on the Cynefin framework and the role of complexity in sensemaking. → Our live online coach training “The Neuroscience of Change” starts September 29th 2022 ← Visit coachesrising.com to see our acclaimed online coach trainings and other offerings.

Dave Snowden is Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Cognitive Edge. His work is international in nature and covers government and industry looking at complex issues relating to strategy and organizational decision-making. He has pioneered a science-based approach to organizations drawing on anthropology, neuroscience, and complex adaptive systems theory. He is a popular and passionate keynote speaker on a range of subjects, and is well-known for his pragmatic cynicism and iconoclastic style. Dave holds visiting Chairs at the Universities of Pretoria and Hong Kong Polytechnic University as well as a visiting fellowship at the University of Warwick. He is a senior fellow at the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies at Nanyang University and the Civil Service College in Singapore. Introduction to Dave Snowden and Cynefin 13 minutes Complicated vs. Complex + Apex Predator Theory 14 minutes Agent-Based Modeling + "Anticipatory Triggers" 9 minutes Artificial Intelligence + Chomsky Bashing 9 minutes Practical Applications for Managers 9 minutes Downward Causality + Red Team 6 minutes SenseMaker Software 6 minutes Mapping the Present 8 minutes Transcripts for The Jim Rutt Show featuring Dave Snowden Keynames this Episode: Jim Rutt, Dave Snowden, Santa Fe Institute, SFI, Cognitive Edge, Cynefin, SenseMaker, University of Pretoria, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, University of Warwick, IBM, DARPA, Harvard Business Review, HBR, Stuart Koffman, Walter Freeman, Ralph Stacey, Luis Lobo-Guerrero, David Chandler, René Thom, Clayton Christensen, Extinction Rebellion, Thomson-Reuters, Murray Gell-Man, Carl Friedrich Gauss, Vilfredo Pareto, Nassim Taleb, David Wolpert, Gary Marcus, Ben Goertzel, Josh Tenenbaum, Ogletree Deakins, Noam Chomsky, Jacques Lacan, Ayn Rand, "Nudge", "Thinking, Fast and Slow", Daniel Kahneman, Baxter, VECO, Rikolto, Myers-Briggs, Andy Clark Keywords this Episode: Jim Rutt, Dave Snowden, audio, podcast, interview, decision-making, strategy, design, knowledge management, business management, process engineering, management science, complexity, cognitive neuroscience, order, chaos, disorder, constrained, enabling constraints, competence induced failure, symbiosis, populism, Ebola, contagion, Apex Predator, global warming, Hong Kong protests, China strategy, coevolutionary fitness landscapes, agent-based model, simulation, correlation, causation, downward causality, Gaussian distribution, Pareto distribution, artificial intelligence, AI, general artificial intelligence, AGI, symbolic AI, deep learning, anticipatory triggers, counterterrorism, 9/11, No Free Lunch Theorem, Alpha Go, abstraction, epigenetics, intelligence, autism, evolutionary biology, philosophy of mind, behavioral economics, diversity, dissent, red team, narrative, business scan, employee survey, employee evaluation, employee review, assessments, 360-degree assessments, cultural evolution, agile development, Six Sigma, astrology

Dave Snowden is the founder and chief officer of Cognitive Edge. He is a pioneer in the field of complexity science and sensemaking, and is perhaps best known for developing the Cynefin framework as a sensemaking device for decision-makers. In this conversation, we talk about Neo-Darwinism, the trouble with specialisation, why democracy is failing, radical sacrifice, and much more. Dave blogs here: https://thecynefin.co/author/dave-snowden/ You can find more out about Cognitive Edge here: https://www.cognitive-edge.com/ We discussed: ‘A Leader’s Framework for Decision Making’ (with Mary E. Boone), Harvard Business Review, Nov 2007: https://hbr.org/2007/11/a-leaders-framework-for-decision-making