Sensemaking
The Power of the Humanities in the Age of the Algorithm
Sensemaking is the new book by Christian Madsbjerg, with Hachette Book Group
Inspired by his work with companies like Ford and Coca-Cola, Madsbjerg's Sensemaking is a provocative stand against the ‘tyranny’ of the algorithm 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.
Sensemaking by Christian Madsbjerg is published by Hachette Book Group.
Get the book (external link to Amazon)
“Madsbjerg argues that unless companies take pains to understand the human beings represented in their data sets, they risk losing touch with the markets they’re serving. He says the deep cultural knowledge businesses need comes not from numbers-driven market research but from a humanities-driven study of texts, languages, and people.”
– Harvard Business Review
Perspectives about Sensemaking
Mikkel Krenchel and Maria Cury discuss the potential promise and pitfalls of the synthetic data revolution underway.
How getting fans wrong led to chaos in European football, and what we have learned about getting fans right.
In this volume chapter, former ReD Associates partner William “Bill” Welser discusses decision-making around privacy and technology.
ReD conducted an anthropological study to answer the simple question: how do people relate to their money?
Christian Madsbjerg and Mikkel Rasmussen, authors of The Moment of Clarity, in conversation with Tim Sullivan, editorial director of Havard Business Review. Here, Christian Madsbjerg and Mikkel Rasmussen discuss the need for the human sciences to help businesses innovate in contexts of great uncertainty.
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.
Press about Sensemaking
In this De Barometer video on ReD Associates, Martin Gronemann discusses ReD’s social sciences approach and how that cultivates discovery.
In this review of the most recent book by ReD Associates co-founder Christian Madsbjerg, Forbes contributor Michael B. Arthur provides an overview of Sensemaking, including theories about the concept from organizational behavior scholar, Karl Weick.
Christian speaks with HBR about 'sensemaking' as the ability to gather different types of data and integrate them including ways in which people feel, perceive and navigate their worlds.
Christian Madsbjerg speaks to Manuela Saragos about why human intelligence is still a vital component in analyzing all our data.
Amidst rising emphasis on STEM fields, Christian argues for the importance of humanities and liberal arts in creating more empathetic people who are necessary in the workforce.
The best CEOs can read a novel and a spreadsheet, ReD co-founder, Christian Madsbjerg, writes. His overarching message is that we should not forget that companies are made up of people and their customers are people, too.
ReD co-founders discuss their book The Moment of Clarity, emphasizing the importance of studying people beyond the spreadsheet.