The Cynefin Company

29/07/2026

Learning Time with Dave Snowden: Estuarine Mapping for Strategy and Change in Complex Systems.

13/07/2026

Dave Snowden and The Cynefin Co team are coming to 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭.

3-day Masterclass will explore , Estuarine Mapping, SenseMaker®, narrative methods, and current developments in our practice.

For those newer to our methods, the full 3-day programme offers a comprehensive overview with a range of immediately applicable techniques. For existing partners and practitioners, each day is also designed to be self-contained, allowing you to join the sessions that best align with your current learning needs or client work.

𝐃𝐚𝐲 1: 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 | 𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 4 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭

• The latest WRASSE framework and its relevance to the Cynefin Co method selection

• methods, including SwarmCompass and human sensor networks

• Dave’s latest thinking around trialectics, wayshaping, and other emerging themes

𝐃𝐚𝐲 2: 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 | 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 5 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭

👉 The morning will focus on 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 for practitioners: what it is, when to use it, and how to facilitate it.

👉 In the afternoon, we will host a 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 on the theme of AI and human , offering participants a 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.

The day will close 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 1-𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 for the learning group.

𝐃𝐚𝐲 3: 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜 | 𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 6 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭

A follow-up day focused on the specific needs of consultants and practitioners, including:

👉 Integrating Cynefin, Estuarine Mapping, SenseMaker®, and related methods

👉 Consultant clinic on your own cases, with advisory and feedback from the Cynefin team

👉 QuickSense, SwarmCompass, and SenseMaker® demos

𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://thecynefin.co/product/australia-cynefin-masterclass-intensive-modular-3-day/

08/07/2026

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬? It is about learning to notice the moments when a situation may be shifting from one context to another. This is where 𝐀𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚, 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐚, 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐚 become useful. In 𝐂𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧® 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩, domain shifting is not about memorising arrows on a framework.

They are not just labels. They are points where we need to slow down and ask better questions.

𝐀𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚: A pattern may be emerging from . But before we move it towards the ordered domains, we need to ask:

👉 Is this genuinely stable enough?
👉 Are we seeing repeatability?
👉 Can we understand enough cause and effect?
👉 Or is this still too dependent on local context?

𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐚: The pattern may look more stable, but we may still not be ready to codify it. This is where we ask:

👉 Do we know enough to move forward?
👉 Are the probes producing reliable results?
👉 Are people gaming the system?
👉 Is there still more to learn?

𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚: Sometimes the better move is not to move forward. It may be necessary to return to exploration, open up more possibilities, and deliberately re-enter . This is where we may need to relax constraints, decompose and recompose, and 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐚: Before something moves into Clear, we need one last check.

👉 Are we ready to standardise this?
👉 Are we about to build it into systems, processes, assumptions, or routines?
👉 If we lock it down now, how difficult will it be to reverse?

This matters because organisations often want to move quickly from 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

👉 An idea works once, so we turn it into a process.
👉 A pilot looks promising, so we scale it.
👉 A pattern appears, so we assume it is predictable.

But in complex human systems, moving too soon can create brittleness.

🤜 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲:

Which domain are we in?

🤜 It is also:

What decision point are we approaching, and 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫?

BaseCamp helps participants work with these transitions more carefully, 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠, and when to avoid locking things down too soon.

🌟 F𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 👉 https://thecynefin.co/product/virtual-cynefin-basecamp-sept-2026/

08/07/2026

𝐈𝐧 𝐂𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩, domain shifting is about understanding that situations 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧. Context can shift among Clear, Complicated, Complex, Chaotic, and Confused/Aporia, 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬, knowledge, pressure, failure, learning, and intervention.

A situation may begin in complexity, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠.

It may move towards complicated, where expertise and analysis become more useful. It may eventually become clear enough to standardise.

But that movement 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜. And it is not always safe. There are threshold spaces where we need to slow down and pay attention.

👉 Is this pattern really stable enough?

👉 Is cause and effect becoming clearer?

👉 Are we ready to codify this into a process?

👉 Or are we pushing too early because the organisation wants certainty?

This matters because 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐲 from exploration to standardisation.

👉 An idea works once, so we turn it into a process.

👉 A pilot shows promise, so we scale it.

👉 A pattern appears, so we assume it is now predictable.

But in 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬, premature convergence can create problems.

👉 What looked stable may still be shifting.

👉 What looked scalable may still depend on context.

👉 What looked like best practice may only have worked because of local conditions.

𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐬 𝐮𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

👉 Sometimes the right move is to stabilise and scale.

👉 Sometimes the better move is to keep exploring.

👉 Sometimes we need to increase feedback, listen for weak signals, and avoid locking things down too soon.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐲 Cynefin® 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤.

It is a way of learning how to think with complexity, recognise changing conditions, and choose responses that fit the context.

Because the question is not only:

𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐢𝐧?

It is also:

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐫?

🌟 Explore Cynefin® Basecamp if you are interested (𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫) 👉 https://thecynefin.co/product/virtual-cynefin-basecamp-sept-2026/

07/07/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡: Best practice is useful when the situation is clear, familiar, and repeatable. 𝐈𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, best practice can become a trap. Not because best practice is wrong, but because it may be the wrong response for the context. The starting point is to notice when a situation is no longer behaving like a simple or technical problem. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞:

• The same intervention works in one team but fails in another.

• People disagree about what the real problem is.

• Small actions create unexpected consequences.

• The issue keeps returning even after repeated attempts to fix it.

• The data shows what is happening, but not why it is happening.

• What worked before no longer seems to fit the current context.

In these situations, the question should not be:

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲?

A better starting point is:

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧?

That shift matters. helps people distinguish between different types of context before choosing how to respond. So the solution is not to reject best practice. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 when best practice is appropriate, and when a different approach is needed.

This is where Cynefin® BaseCamp becomes 𝐚 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭. If your work regularly involves shifting contexts, competing perspectives, unclear cause and effect, or decisions that cannot be reduced to simple answers, 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐬 a grounded way to begin building that capability.

It helps participants move from asking:

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫?

to asking:

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭?

Explore Cynefin® Basecamp if you are interested (𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫) 👉 https://thecynefin.co/product/virtual-cynefin-basecamp-sept-2026/

26/06/2026

Estuarine Mapping - 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 Dave Snowden as part of the ecosystem. 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰:

1. 𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲: Not the desired future, not the solution, but the situation you need to understand.

2. 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦: Bring together different people and list what is shaping the situation: constraints, dependencies, habits, processes, relationships, delays, risks, assumptions, past failures.

3. 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞: Separate the landscape into things that constrain, things that produce outcomes, and actors who have agency or influence. Break vague items into smaller, more specific elements.

4. 𝐌𝐚𝐩 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, Ask: how much effort would this take to change, and how long would meaningful change realistically take?

5. 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐰 𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬: Identify what cannot be changed, what is outside your current authority, what is workable now, and what is shifting by itself.

6. 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬: Focus on what most affects the situation, even if some of those things are not immediately changeable.

7. 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐳𝐨𝐧𝐞: Do not treat everything as a task. Some things need action, some need escalation, some need monitoring, and some need designing around.

8. 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐩 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Actions should become small, specific moves: a conversation, an experiment, a monitoring signal, a change to a process, or an escalation with evidence.

9. 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐩: The system changes. Items move. New constraints appear. EM works best when the map is treated as a living strategy tool.

🌟 𝑻𝒐 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆, 𝒘𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒋𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔.

👉 https://thecynefin.co/product/estuarine-mapping-virtual-q3-sep-2026/

18/06/2026

𝐈𝐟 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 2026 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐩.

Estuarine Mapping – a method and framework that offers a flexible approach to understanding and mapping complex contexts, with fresh approaches to setting direction and strategies in collaboration with stakeholders and communities.

In this workshop, we will explore methods to look at 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 do about it. Along the way, we will deal with questions like these:

👉 What can I change and manage in a complex environment?
👉 What do I do when simple goals don’t work?
👉 How do I plan in and for uncertainty?
👉 How do I combine the grand vision with the day-to-day?

𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 👉 https://thecynefin.co/product/estuarine-mapping-virtual-q3-sep-2026/

08/06/2026

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥.
👉 https://thecynefin.co/learning-training/

14/05/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬-𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐚𝐨: 𝐋𝐢 (理) by Alice Jing SHAN, PhD
In complex systems, sequence is never merely a matter of order. It is often a matter of viability. A child plays in the mud. You tell them to wash their hands before eating. In surgery, anaesthesia comes before the first incision. A pilot checks the runway, instruments, and controls before take-off, not after the aircraft is already in the air. A checklist in a complex system is rarely just a list of items. The sequence is often doing the real work.

This is not limited to medicine, aviation, or other obviously high-stakes systems. The same is true in systems, where sequence shapes what appears first, what becomes legible, and what is later mistaken for the starting point. It matters whenever form is treated as if it had become detachable from formation, or whenever articulation begins to masquerade as origin.

𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞'𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 👉 https://thecynefin.co/the-less-known-partner-of-dao-li/

First, a few words about the author: Dr Alice Jing Shan is the founder of ScholarLand Ltd, originator of Relational Dynamics™, and an independent

24/04/2026

Estuarine Mapping is not just a metaphor; it’s a diagnostic lens. Not all systems fail in the same way. Some are fjordic, constrained by their original structure. Others are deltic, shaped over time by the accumulation of past success. Both suppress the generative mixing where real insight emerges.

The work is not to force change, but to recognise where movement is blocked, where boundaries need opening, and where healthy systems extend through flood plains and salt marshes, creating conditions for adaptation, learning, and serendipity.

Explore Dave Snowden's latest thinking 👉 https://thecynefin.co/fjordic-deltic-two-modes-of-suppression/

‘Mental frameworks are also prisons of the longue durée.’ Fernand Braudel, ‘Histoire et sciences sociales: La longue durée’, 1958 Extending the