Christian Madsbjerg

Inspired by his work with companies like Ford and Coca-Cola, Madsbjerg's Sensemaking is a provocative stand against the "tyranny" of big data and an impassioned argument that human intelligence, informed by the study of the humanities, remains essential to success. We live in the age of algorithms. But what happens when number crunching fails to solve a company's problems? Madsbjerg argues that many of today's biggest success stories stem not from "quant" thinking but from deep, nuanced engagement with the culture, language, and history of customers. He calls this technique "sensemaking" and illustrates how business leaders, entrepreneurs, and individuals can use human science tools to innovate and solve their thorniest problems. In a time when liberal arts graduates fear for their prospects, Sensemaking is a welcome, transformative vision for success in the twenty-first century.

The Power of the Humanities in the Age of the Algorithm

Sensemaking

Mikkel Rasmussen

Businesses need a new type of problem solving. Why? Because they are getting people wrong. Traditional problem-solving methods taught in business schools serve us well for some of the everyday challenges of business, but they tend to be ineffective with problems involving a high degree of uncertainty. Why? Because, more often than not, these tools are based on a flawed model of human behavior. And that flawed model is the invisible scaffolding that supports our surveys, our focus groups, our R&D, and much of our long-term strategic planning. In The Moment of Clarity, Christian Madsbjerg and Mikkel Rasmussen examine the business world’s assumptions about human behavior and show how these assumptions can lead businesses off track. But the authors chart a way forward. Using theories and tools from the human sciences—anthropology, sociology, philosophy, and psychology—The Moment of Clarity introduces a practical framework called sensemaking. Sensemaking’s nonlinear problem-solving approach gives executives a better way to understand business challenges involving shifts in human behavior. This new methodology, a fundamentally different way to think about strategy, is already taking off in Fortune 100 companies around the world. Through compelling case studies and their direct experience with LEGO, Samsung, Adidas, Coloplast, and Intel, Madsbjerg and Rasmussen will show you how to solve problems as diverse as setting company direction, driving growth, improving sales models, understanding the real culture of your organization, and finding your way in new markets. Over and over again, executives say the same thing after engaging in a process of sensemaking: “Now I see it . . .” This experience—the moment of clarity—has the potential to drive the entire strategic future of your company. Isn’t it time you and your firm started getting people right? Learn more about the innovation and strategy work of ReD Associates at: redassociates.com

Using the Human Sciences to Solve Your Toughest Business Problems

The Moment of Clarity

A powerful exploration of how we pay attention that will transform the ways we connect with one another – at home, at work, and beyond. Paying attention is a crucial human skill, yet many of us have forgotten how to listen carefully and observe intentionally. Deluged by social media and hobbled by the increasing social isolation it fosters, we need to rediscover the deeply human ways we connect with others. Christian Madsbjerg, a philosopher and entrepreneur, understands this dilemma. To counteract it, he began a course at The New School in New York City called Human Observation, which lays out the ways that we can learn to pay attention more effectively. The course has been hugely popular since its inception, with hundreds of students filling waiting lists. In Look, Madsbjerg sets out the key observational skills needed to show how we can recapture our ability to pay attention. Drawing from philosophy, science, the visual arts, and his own life, he offers both practical insights and a range of tools for experiencing the world with greater richness and texture. The result is a dynamic approach to rethinking observation that helps all of us to see with more empathy, accuracy, and connection to others.

How to Pay Attention in a Distracted World

Look

Mikkel B. Rasmussen

Med stor international succes har Christian Madsbjerg og Mikkel B. Rasmussen flyttet virksomheders fokus, så de kigger lige så meget på mennesker som på økonomiske nøgletal. Ved at studere menneskelig adfærd kan virksomheder lettere justere forretningen, når markedet pludselig ændrer sig, eller kunderne begynder at ændre vaner. Christian Madsbjerg og Mikkel B. Rasmussen, som står bag Red Associates, har lært flere førende forbrugervirksomheder at se deres kunder som virkelige personer, og hjulpet dem med at udvikle strategier på det grundlag. Læs blandt andet om, hvordan LEGO, Addidas, Samsung og Intel har fornyet deres forretningsmodel og tjent styrtende på det. Velkommen til en verden, hvor indsigt i mennesker skaber hårde resultater.

Christian Madsbjerg

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