Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Wayshaping for substrate management - The Cynefin Co

1 2

snowded.bsky.social @snowded.bsky.social · 2d

I'm going to be in Washington, DC, for a client this month and can stay over from the 1st to the 5th/6th of November if anyone wants to set anything up! It's too short notice for us to organise a masterclass, but we're happy to work with others either in-house or as a consortium. DM if interested

snowded.bsky.social @snowded.bsky.social · 10d

snowded.bsky.social @snowded.bsky.social · 16d

Another exploratory (please note that word) post in what is a developing body of work, which is moving towards a complex systems approach to strategy. This time on Wayshaping & substrate management. Links courses in Berlin, where some of this will be taught & explored. thecynefin.co/wayshaping-f...

In chapter one of The Wind in the Willows, the Mole has been working very hard with spring-cleaning, and he is weary, splattered with whitewash. “Spring was moving in the air above and in the earth b...

Weaving risk and strategy ... - The Cynefin Co

snowded.bsky.social @snowded.bsky.social · 18d

First substantive post on the WRAS(SE) framework - weaving risk and strategy - which will also come with supporting tools & practices. There is a development club for the next experimental stage, and the post includes a link for those interested in participating. thecynefin.co/weaving-risk...

The launch of the Estuarine Framework almost three years ago marked a critical step in a decade-long journey to develop an anthro-complexity approach to strategy. Like all frameworks and methods, it ...

The New Dynamics of Strategy: Tools for decision-making under uncertainty - Helsinki - The Cynefin Co

2 3

snowded.bsky.social @snowded.bsky.social · Sep 11

A reminder about the sessions next week in Helsinki, which will examine the new strategy frameworks (Estuarine and WRAS) as well as new forms of citizen engagement, distributed decision-making, and a few other topics. DM me if there are questions thecynefin.co/product/dyna...

A short-notice opportunity has arisen in Helsinki to provide basic education in the new frameworks and tools that have been developed since the publication of the Field Guide to Managing Complexity (a...

The substrate of safety - The Cynefin Co

snowded.bsky.social @snowded.bsky.social · Sep 3

New post on 'the substrate of safety', building on my post on the limitations of rules. Triggered by an NHS event. More to come on the subject, but this focuses on five approaches to understand & menage (no spelling error) the affordances that lead to better outcomes. thecynefin.co/the-substrat...

A few months back, I was asked to speak at an NHS event on the role of complexity with a focus on safety, broadly interpreted. I promised to write a blog post at the time, and I am somewhat late in g...

The New Dynamics of Strategy: Tools for decision-making under uncertainty

snowded.bsky.social @snowded.bsky.social · Aug 29

In Helsinki, in a couple of weeks, for Waves & have scheduled the 15th & 16th Sept, to update the new strategy-focused frameworks & Citizen Engagement. Single Price for all or any half-day sessions. Don't let the sign-up confuse you; buy one ticket per person. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-new-dy...

Get updated on new frameworks and tools that have been developed since the publication of the Field Guide to Managing Complexity

www.eventbrite.co.uk

snowded.bsky.social @snowded.bsky.social · Aug 4

A third post in the 'Fallacy of Simplifying Complexity' series, this time on the limits of rules. Seven issues and seven complexity-informed ways to resolve them. thecynefin.co/the-limits-o...

The limits of rules … - The Cynefin Co

… and the fallacy of simplifying complexity I’ve posted many times on the issue of the proverbial fat tail. The first time was after several of us, including Max Boisot, had been involved in a worksho...

"In Berlin, even the laws of physics feel negotiable" - The Cynefin Co

snowded.bsky.social @snowded.bsky.social · Aug 1

Announcing a new approach to teaching complexity and resilience in organisations and society, in a new, more relaxed city format. First up Berlin in October thecynefin.co/in-berlin-ev...

We’re developing a new approach to advanced training, focusing on our methods and tools, through our City programme. The idea is to spread a two- or three-day intensive class over a series of half da...

SwarmCompass Launch - The Cynefin Co

snowded.bsky.social @snowded.bsky.social · Jul 30

Registration open: the launch of SwarmCompass on Friday. Two time zones 0600 & 1600 BST: a novel approach to scenario planning, employee engagement, evaluation and risk management. Use distributed intelligence for wayshaping, set new directions to navigate uncertainty. thecynefin.co/product/swar...

Join us for a live session to launch our new SwarmCompass offering. In an era of relentless disruption, traditional leadership tools leave you adrift in a sea of data without direction. SwarmCompass, ...

Curation is no cure - The Cynefin Co

snowded.bsky.social @snowded.bsky.social · Jul 27

New post 'Curation is not the cure' arguing that much workshop-type process in change initiatives is valid in the liminal, but not the complex domain of Cynefin. Also updating on prior work on good practice & getting ready for more on substrate mapping this week thecynefin.co/curation-is-...

I’ve written before on the problem of curation, and it is an abiding concern, in part because it is, in the main, well-intentioned. In February last year, I discussed the dangers of digital storytel...

snowded.bsky.social @snowded.bsky.social · Jul 26

A fuller taster for the launch of Swarm Compass next week - open sessions at the end of the week and early adopter pricing for August: a real opportunity for change agents in our network to engage C-level in a new entangled approach to insight and action

3

snowded.bsky.social @snowded.bsky.social · Jul 24

Partial reveal: swarm intelligence for wayshaping at scale) will be unveiled on Tuesday, and there will be a couple of open sessions on Thursday/Friday. It's for decision-making, scenario creation, evaluation & engagement, & offers more value with fewer resources in less time and at lower risk.

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

snowded.bsky.social @snowded.bsky.social · Jul 21

Second post in my ' Fallacy of Simplifying Complexity' series, this time with a focus on 360º forms of evaluation at individual and team level - precursor to another product announcement coming soon and linked to new approaches to coaching thecynefin.co/the-limits-o...

lnkd.in

The Limits of Spider Diagrams … - The Cynefin Co

snowded.bsky.social @snowded.bsky.social · Jul 18

First in a series with a three-part structure: Problem statement, anthro-complexity alternative, with a key takeaway to conclude.
This one is OD & Change focused: there will be a few more in that area before I move to knowing & the dangers of information-centricity. thecynefin.co/the-limits-o...

… and the Fallacy of Simplifying Complexity Most readers will recognise spider diagrams from organisational culture studies, psychometric testing, and similar fields. These diagrams aim to distil comp...

1 2

snowded.bsky.social @snowded.bsky.social · Jul 13

There is a metaphor in there somewhere

Back on the blog again - The Cynefin Co

snowded.bsky.social @snowded.bsky.social · Jul 7

After a long absence, I'm starting up posting on the blog again. This initial post flags up some major initiatives you can expect to see opening up over the next week or so thecynefin.co/back-on-the-...

It’s been a long time since my last post, longer than I would like, but I’ve been heavily committed to a series of book chapters that expand on the EU Field Guide. Those chapters are not yet all avai...

1 2

snowded.bsky.social @snowded.bsky.social · Jun 29

I'm speaking at the Government Systems Thinking Interest Group this Tuesday in Sheffield. Focus on utilising citizen and employee engagement at scale to create resilience in the face of unknowns and unimaginable uncertainties, including new methods on dynamic allocation & reallocation of resources

Advanced Cynefin & Sense-making Intensive, Denver Colorado - The Cynefin Co

snowded.bsky.social @snowded.bsky.social · May 19

Last call for tickets at our upcoming 2-day event in Denver? I'll be teaching it with colleagues, and we will cover the main frameworks - this will also be the first outing for the new risk/portfolio matrix. thecynefin.co/product/adva...

Join Dave Snowden and the Cynefin Co team for a 2-day intensive Advanced Cynefin and Sense-Making workshop, offering a deep dive into our theory, practice and tools in Denver, Colorado.

The cynefin.io, Naturalising Sense-Making wiki that almost anyone can edit.

snowded.bsky.social @snowded.bsky.social · Apr 29

Estuarine mapping focuses on defining where you are & what is possible, not idealistic statements about what should be. When used in strategy, it also significantly reduces risk for any project. The hexi facilitation kit can now be ordered.
cognitive-edge-8258813.hs-sites.com/the-cynefin-...

Main Page

Cynefin.io

St David’s 2025: 2/5 Complex Frame - The Cynefin Co

snowded.bsky.social @snowded.bsky.social · Apr 20

Complex Frame posted thecynefin.co/st-davids-20...

Continuing my St David’s Day series, we move onto a frame for the complex domain. Here, I am contrasting the evidence available to the decision maker with the degree of credibility of any actions or i...

St David’s 2025: 1/5 Chaos in hexi form - The Cynefin Co

snowded.bsky.social @snowded.bsky.social · Apr 20

After an intensive period of travel & writing, I am catching up on blog posts & retrofitting the dates - first of five that will go up today/tomorrow that update the Cynefin domain matrices - first up introduces the approach and starts with Chaos - tomorrow Complexity thecynefin.co/st-davids-20...

St David’s Day celebrates the patron saint of Wales. Of the four/five nations co-located on the British Isles, we are the only one with a native born saint. St Patrick was captured by Irish raiders ...

Cynefin EU Retreat: Mind, Body, World - The Cynefin Co

snowded.bsky.social @snowded.bsky.social · Mar 7

Some scholarships for students & un/low waged for the retreat in Eryri (Snowdonia). Full participation & meals in the location, find your own accommodation (YHA, campsite, B&Bs in area) & transport. You will work with our team to synthesise material. DM if interested
thecynefin.co/product/cyne...

Register your interest and save the date for our next Cynefin Retreat in Snowdonia, Wales, around the theme of mind-body-world.

Mind, body & the world: an offer - The Cynefin Co

snowded.bsky.social @snowded.bsky.social · Feb 20

This offer to help people justify attending the retreat achieved its result & got the necessary numbers over the line! So we've decided to extend it to any additional bookings. But we won't be able to guarantee accommodation on-site after the end of next week. thecynefin.co/an-offer/

Over the last few years, we have used the retreat format, which runs using our hybrid between a traditional conference and an unconference, namely the triopticon, to engage our community in developing...