World of Wisdom 283. Dave Snowden - Complexity, Coherence and Agency
45 snips
Jan 4, 2026 
Dave Snowden, founder of the Cynefin Co. and a visionary in complexity science, explores fascinating themes around change and decision-making. He critiques traditional workshops, advocating for micro-engagements that nurture empathy and community. Snowden emphasizes the importance of agency and affordances in shaping change, warning against cultural homogenization. He champions narrative approaches to capture diverse experiences and encourages a focus on patterns rather than precision, making complexity accessible and engaging.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Violence Shaped His Aversion To Empty Meetings
- Snowden describes witnessing violence during indigenous land rights work in Australia.
- That experience made him intolerant of meetings that only talk and don't change realities.
From IBM Research To National Risk Systems
- Dave Snowden recounts work on counterterrorism and Singapore's horizon scanning after Pentagon engagement.
- That experience led him to co-design national risk systems and later start his company.
Complexity Requires Micro‑Level Management
- Complexity deals with systems lacking linear material causality and produces only hindsight causal stories.
- Manageable actions focus on micro actants, monitor emergent patterns, then amplify or dampen them.
