Announcing the publication of Managing complexity (and chaos) in times of crisis. A partnership between the Cynefin Centre and the EU

In 2020, when we started realising the the full scope of the crisis around the COVID19 pandemic and the accompanying social and economic disruptions, Cognitive Edge, and in particular Dave Snowden, Director of the Cynefin Centre and our Chief Scientific Officer realised the need to publish a basic guide to help people make sense of complexity in general and this crisis in particular.

The existing relationship between the Cynefin Centre, our not-for-profit and research arm, and the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Commission’s science and knowledge service, led to the publication of this collaboration by Dave and Alessandro Rancati: Managing complexity (and chaos) in times of crisis. A field guide for decision makers inspired by the Cynefin framework. Rooted in naturalising sense-making and its approach to anthro-complexity, this field guide provides decision-makers with a novel, yet simple to follow four-step process to Assess where they are, Adapt to that context, Exapt to leverage existing capability and ultimately Transcend the crisis.

It contains much of Dave’s latest thinking, wonderfully illustrated and enriched by Alessandro. The Cynefin Centre will host several webinars over the coming weeks for those interested in more information. Details will be available on their soon-to-be-released new web site. We are also working on learning offerings that will enable and credential those who would like to partner with us in helping organisations and governments implement these ideas. Again, details will be available very soon.

It has been a long time in the making, but as one of our friends said on Twitter … well worth the wait.

Click here to download the Field Guide.