Dave Snowden created the Cynefin framework and designed SenseMaker. He was lead author of Managing Complexity (and Chaos) in Times of Crisis, a field guide written with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre. Mark “Moose” McGrath and I asked him how his work connects to John Boyd.
Complexity then and now
Dave traces complexity theory from the 1980s to today. He explains anthro-complexity, the study of complexity in human systems, and naturalizing sensemaking. Complexity has no linear material causality, and that challenges system dynamics and cybernetics.
Cynefin and OODA
We look at how Cynefin and the OODA loop relate, and how organizations can use both. Fractality matters. Role-based, distributed decision-making lets people act where they are. Management needs scientific thinking and discipline.
Orientation
Dave gives his take on the orientation part of OODA and on what he sees as the loop’s biggest contribution. We close on major shifts in how we think about firms, and on where Agile goes next.
Cynefin and Boyd both start from orientation, and Dave helped us see how they fit together.
Where does your organization treat a complex problem as if it were only complicated?
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https://youtube.com/@nowayoutpodcast
Written by Ponch Rivera with AI assistance in production. The full conversation is in the player below.