If you're a leader directing talent, be careful what you wish for

Recruiting your brightest and best to solve the more intractable challenges facing your business is the right thing to do. But proceed with forethought. Failing to act upon their recommendations doesn’t develop your team, it opens up Pandora’s box.

Simon Lunt23 September 2016leadership, cynefin, ComplexComment

The best Leaders focus on Problem A and minimise Problem B

The range of literature on strategy is perhaps only surpassed by the volume of literature on leadership. Though one may be a task, and the other an action, both share a dizzying range of definitions, many contradictory and most of no utility. I was once told that, “Getting a definition of leadership is like nailing jelly to the wall.” This amusing nod to the struggle in tying down an understanding of leadership might be acceptable in literary and academic circles, but Executives need something solid and useful. They need a practical approach to understanding leadership, one that opens up opportunities to personal and organizational improvement. We define leadership as the two-fold activity of identifying the problem to be solved and corralling the problem-solving resources to solve it—all for mutual benefit. Thus, problem solving is the key of life.

Simon Lunt23 September 2016Complex, leadership, problem solvingComment

How the Cynefin framework won Wales a Grand Slam

“Gatland arrived in Wales in the opening weeks of 2008, when Wales were in a state of chaos, … and the changing room echoing to the murmurs of mutiny. The new coach imposed order and gave simple instructions and Wales responded with a second grand slam of the 2000s.”

Simon Lunt23 September 2016Complex, chaos, cynefin, leadership, problem solvingComment

Cynefin - a time management and productivity tool?

The thirst for easy fixes to the challenges of time management appears unslakable. I have no doubt that for some, the act of seeking and tinkering with the latest ‘getting-things-done’ (GTD) tool/philosophy/process is an addiction. It affirms we all seek efficiency without compromising effectiveness. And in a minor example of exaptation, the Cynefin framework has the potential to be a useful tool in this pursuit.

Simon Lunt23 September 2016Complex, chaos, cynefin, leadership, simple, strategyComment

Can using complicated tools to solve a complex problem make you ill?

My initial contact with Cognitive Edge was stimulated by a question; does anyone out there have experience of applying a complex adaptive system approach to business? The root of the question arose from an earlier one of “how do you build bodily health” and curiosity as to whether the answer to that question had insight for building organisational health. I had developed an understanding of the physiology of the human body through research and self-experimentation, and came to conclusion that our bodies are non-homeostatic open systems, but was surprised that a big chunk of medical science is derived from model of closed-loop steady state. Thus we manage this Complex system with Complicated and Simple tools (to our detriment) , and the analogy to Business seemed worthy of further investigation.

Simon Lunt23 September 2016Complex, cynefin, genotype, healthComment

So what! Tell me who has used it, and how it works

I am frequently asked to demonstrate to my commercially-minded, tight-budgeted, hard-nosed, doubting-Thomased clients that there is profitable proof of pragmatic application of the insight arising from the narrative research and the Cynefin framework.

Simon Lunt23 September 2016Complex, cynefin Comment

THE FRUITS OF RIOTOUS EXPERIMENTATION

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