Podcasts about red associates

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Christian Madsbjerg about perception in the world. They discuss why perception and observation are important, the work of Merleau-Ponty, perception being reality, and intersubjectivity. They discuss the role of the body in phenomenology, phenomenology of space, the “other,” practical ways of paying attention in the world, and many more topics. Christian Madsbjerg is an author, entrepreneur, and academic who focuses on the practical and commercial application of the Human Sciences. He is the co-founder of the global consulting firm Red Associates which addressing strategy questions through empirical, organized observations of the human world. He also serves as the Chairman of the Board at the world-class architectural firm Bjarke Ingels Group, holds a non-executive director position at Fritz Hansen A/S, is an independent Director and Chair of the Nomination and Governance Committee at The Metals Company (Nasdaq: TMC), and is a member of the US board of Kvadrat A/S. He also serves as a director of the Revs Institute, a design museum and research institute. He has held the Professor of Applied Humanities position at The New School in New York City. He is the author of several books, including the most recent book, Look: How to Pay Attention in a Distracted World. Website: https://madsbjerg.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

A lot is going on out there. How can we pay better attention in a distracted world? Christian Madsbjerg joins Kevin to discuss the importance of observation and attention in leadership. Madsbjerg explains that observation is the practice of carefully and empirically studying humans to understand their experiences and behaviors. He emphasizes the need for leaders to set aside their opinions and preconceived notions to just describe what they see. Madsbjerg also introduces the concept of hyper-reflection, which involves observing how others observe and think. He encourages leaders to make time for observation and reflection, as these practices can lead to a deeper understanding of customers, teams, and social dynamics. Meet Christian Name: Christian Madsbjerg His Story: Christian Madsbjerg is the author of several books, including Look: How to Pay Attention in a Distracted World, Sensemaking: The Power of the Humanities in the Age of the Algorithm, and The Moment of Clarity (co-authored with Mikkel Rasmussen), which have been translated into 15 languages. He is also an entrepreneur and academic who focuses on the practical and commercial application of the Human Sciences. He is the co-founder of the global consulting firm Red Associates. He also held the Professor of Applied Humanities position at The New School in New York City, where he centered his teaching on 20th-century continental philosophy. His work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Financial Times, The Washington Post, and Bloomberg Businessweek. He lives in New York City with his family. https://madsbjerg.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-madsbjerg-8aa73/ Book Recommendations Look: How to Pay Attention in a Distracted World by Christian Madsbjerg  Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard  The Peregrine by J. A. Baker  Related Episodes How to be Great at Work with Morten Hansen The Creative Curve with Allen Gannett Join Our Community If you want to view our live podcast episodes, hear about new releases, or chat with others who enjoy this podcast join one of our communities below. Join the Facebook Group Join the LinkedIn Group   Leave a Review If you liked this conversation, we'd be thrilled if you'd let others know by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Here's a quick guide for posting a review. Review on Apple: https://remarkablepodcast.com/itunes    Podcast Better! Sign up with Libsyn and get up to 2 months free! Use promo code: RLP  

Since the sexual revolution of the 1970s, the Western world has been obsessed with representations of sex. And within this historical explosion of sexual imagery, many companies capitalised on the powerful narrative that consumption could deliver sex appeal and in turn, increase one's chances for finding a partner. More recently, however, we're seeing a shift where sex appeal is becoming increasingly dissociated from the idea of romantic love and folded into a wider and more varied set of personal narratives. To unpack this further, host Eliot Salandy Brown sits down with Sandra Cariglio, a partner at ReD Associates, and Polly Rodriguez, co-founder and CEO of sexual wellness brand Unbound, as part of our ongoing special series on our evolving relationship to flesh and the body. Together, they tackle big questions such as: Does sex still sell? How are behaviours and values around intimacy changing? And if the desire to seduce isn't driving consumption in fashion and beauty like it used to, what will take its place?

When we are truly curious about why things happen and why others do what they do, our judgment is suspended. We begin to gain empathy for the plight of others which opens our own lives up to deeper experiences, textured understandings, and richer lives. But paying attention in a world full of distractions is becoming a lost art.To discover the many ways expanding our observation can serve humanity, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with the co-founder of the consulting firm ReD Associates, Christian Madsbjerg.Christian is a speaker and author of the book, Look: How to Pay Attention in a Distracted World. He describes the beauty of hyper-reflection, provides tips for regaining our ever-decreasing skill of observation, and shares how stepping away from digital devices can revitalize our senses.To learn more, visit www.harvestinghappinesstalkradio.com.

When we are truly curious about why things happen and why others do what they do, our judgment is suspended. We begin to gain empathy for the plight of others which opens our own lives up to deeper experiences, textured understandings, and richer lives. But paying attention in a world full of distractions is becoming a lost art.To discover the many ways expanding our observation can serve humanity, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with the co-founder of the consulting firm ReD Associates, Christian Madsbjerg.Christian is a speaker and author of the book, Look: How to Pay Attention in a Distracted World. He describes the beauty of hyper-reflection, provides tips for regaining our ever-decreasing skill of observation, and shares how stepping away from digital devices can revitalize our senses. To learn more, visit www.harvestinghappinesstalkradio.com.

David and Michelle talk with the founder of ReD Associates, Christian Madsbjerg. Christian shares insights on seeing beyond the obvious, understanding social silences, and the power of deep observation in a world dominated by screens and opinions. You can read an excerpt of Christian’s latest book on our blog here. Get your copy of Look: How […] The post Ep: 130 How to Pay Attention in a Distracted World with Christian Madsbjerg appeared first on Fundraising Leadership .

Money is one of the great stressors of our age, and learning to manage our finances one of our most important life needs. So why do the financial products we are offered still feel so out of sync with how we really experience money? In this episode, host Eliot Salandy Brown sits down with Martin Gronemann, a partner at ReD Associates leading our work in finance, and John Dalton, Vice President of Research at the Fidelity Center for Applied Technology, to unpick how the latest social science can help banks and financial institutions provide better products and services and build deeper interactions with their customer base. How do some executives misunderstand young people? What are the key emerging financial practices to watch? How has the digitization of financial tools made managing money even more overwhelming? And how might introducing productive friction help us make better and more informed financial decisions?

Kelly speaks with Christian Madsbjerg, co-founder of the consulting firm ReD Associates and professor of applied humanities at the New School in New York City. He has a new book called “Look: How to Pay Attention in a Distracted World.” “Creativity is never radical, insights are.”  “Stop talking and try listening. What will you hear in the silence?”  […]

Christian is interested in human worlds, human perception and the skill of observation, which is reflected in the diversity of his professional experience. He has been a full time Professor of Applied Humanities at The New School for Social Research; a Senior Fellow at The Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) in Tokyo, Japan and a Distinguished Visitor at The Buffett Center for International Affairs at Northwestern University in Chicago.He co-founded ReD Associates, a pioneering consultancy with offices in Copenhagen, Paris, London and New York City, and a health data start-up Lateral Data based in Dallas TX. His board appointments include Chairman of the top-tier architectural firm Bjarke Ingels Group: BIG; Independent director of the luxury furniture manufacturer Fritz Hansen; Independent director and Nomination/Governance Committee chairman at the battery metals company The Metals Company; Member of the high-end home textiles manufacturer Kvadrat; and Board member at Red Associates Holding. His work has been featured in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Financial Times, The Washington Post, Der Spiegel, and Bloomberg Business week. And he is the author of three books: The Moment of Clarity - Using the Human Sciences to Solve Your Toughest Business Problems Sensemaking - The Power of The Humanities in the Age of the Algorithm And just released:Look - How to pay attention in a world of distraction. Learn more about Christian: Connect on LinkedIn See more of his work Learn more about NDM at NaturalisticDecisionMaking.org. Where to find the hosts: Brian Moon Brian's website Brian's LinkedIn Brian's Twitter Laura Militello Laura's website Laura's LinkedIn Laura's Twitter

Paying attention is a crucial human skill, yet many of us have forgotten how to listen carefully and observe intentionally. In this episode, we talk about how we can recapture our ability to pay attention that helps all of us to see with more empathy, accuracy, and connection to others. Christian Madsbjerg founded (and sold) ReD Associates - a strategic innovation consultancy - with a group of likeminded people in 2007. He is the author of books on social theory and discourse analysis. Christian's book, Look: How to Pay Attention in a Distracted World is available now. Find out more about Christian at madsbjerg.com. Support the Show - Become a Patron! Help us grow and become a Patron today: https://www.patreon.com/smartpeoplepodcast Sponsors: Shopify - Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/spp. LinkedIn - Go to LinkedIn.com/SMARTPEOPLE for a 60-day free trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christian Madsbjerg new book is LOOK: How to Pay Attention in a Distracted World, an exploration of how we pay attention, why it matters, and how we get it back. Christian Madsbjerg is cofounder of the consulting firm ReD Associates. He writes, speaks, and teaches widely on the practical application of the human sciences.

Hello and welcome to  Anxiety at Work.  We hope the time you spend with us will help remove the stigma of anxiety and mental health in the workplace and your personal life.What you will learnWhat is hyper reflection? Why is it important?3 levels of attention Discover what and why people do what they doThe gaps between what people say, and the actuality of how they liveThe myth that we have access to our belief, desires and can express themWith us is our new friend Christian Madsbjerg who is cofounder of the consulting firm ReD Associates. He writes, speaks, and teaches on the practical application of human sciences. His work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Financial Times, The Washington Post, and Bloomberg Business Week. He is the author of the new book from Penguin Random House. “Look: How to pay attention is a distracted world.” Support the showUntil next week, we hope you find peace & calm in a world that often is a sea of anxiety.If you love this podcast, please share it and leave a 5-star rating! If you feel inspired, we invite you to come on over to The Culture Works where we share resources and tools for you to build a high-performing culture where you work.Your hosts, Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton have spent over two decades helping clients around the world engage their employees on strategy, vision and values. They provide real solutions for leaders looking to manage change, drive innovation and build high performance cultures and teams. They are authors of award-winning Wall Street Journal & New York Times bestsellers All In, The Carrot Principle, Leading with Gratitude, & Anxiety at Work. Their books have been translated into 30 languages and have sold more than 1.5 million copies. Visit The Culture Works for a free Chapter 1 download of Anxiety at Work.Learn more about their Executive Coaching at The Culture Works. christy@thecultureworks.com to book Adrian and/or Chester to keynote

In his new book, LOOK: How to Pay Attention in a Distracted World, Christian Madsbjerg explores the importance of observational skills. Drawing on various fields—science, philosophy, and the arts—as well as his personal experiences, Madsbjerg offers tools and insights to help us better pay attention and extract insights.Madsbjerg was co-founder and senior partner of consulting firm, ReD Associates and was previously a professor of applied humanities at the New School for Social Research in New York City. He works at the intersection of business and the humanities, guiding firms to develop powerful strategies anchored in human perception.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Madsbjerg discusses how we can learn to observe the world properly—letting go of oversimplifying assumptions and biases—and how this will help firms unlock insights about their customers far beyond the reach of traditional market research.Key topics discussed: [01:25] How to observe properly[06:57] How “total observation” can unlock new insights[13:14] Distractions of modern life and how to tackle them[18:14] Difference between traditional market research and “total observation”[21:30] How to change how we observe things in the corporate contextThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

Episode 1602: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Christian Madsbjerg, author of LOOK, about how to pay attention in a distracted world Christian Madsbjerg is cofounder of the consulting firm ReD Associates. He writes, speaks, and teaches widely on the practical application of the human sciences. His work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Financial Times, The Washington Post, and Bloomberg Businessweek. He lives in New York City with his family. “Look - How to Pay Attention in a Time of Distraction” is Madsbjerg's barce new book published with Riverhead in July 2023. Look, explores 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, Madsbjerg offers 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. Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TODAY'S GUEST   Christian Madsbjerg is a Professor of Applied Humanities at The New School and a co-founder of the pioneering Red Associates, a consultancy with offices in Copenhagen and New York City, which brings the human sciences to bear on strategic business problems, mostly dealing with companies in trouble.   Christian writes, speaks, and teaches on the practical application of the human sciences, latest as a Professor of Applied Humanities at The New School for social research. His work has been featured in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Washington Post, Der Spiegel, and Bloomberg Businessweek.   His latest book, Sensemaking: The Power of the Humanities in the Age of the Algorithm, was released in the spring of 2017 by Hachette Book Group, and is out in 16 languages.     EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: Growing up on a small island near Sweden. His work with Lego, helping them identify harmful, false assumptions around play and childhood. The critical value of the humanities in business, and why it's been overlooked for so long. The value of slowing down. His book, Sensemaking. His skepticism around AI, big data, and design thinking. And many other topics.   I'm a big believer in the power of the humanities, from anthropology to history, poetry to philosophy, to teach us critical tools and skills for the world of business. And I think this conversation will be eye-opening to many people.   It's one of a dozen or so weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with thinkers, designers, makers, best-selling authors, entrepreneurs, and impact investors who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to remakepod.org to subscribe.   And now let's jump right in with Christian Madsbjerg.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS [3:28] Life During Covid [14:42] Early Childhood Observations [16:27] A Path of Early Projects [20:03] Rebuilding Lego [27:28] Assumptions and Questions [29:13] Introducing Humanities to the Business World [34:38] Sensemaking and the Role of Humans vs Technology [41:59] The Concept of the Human [44:36] An Observation of Design Thinking [49:10] How to Pay Attention [51:08] H1B [54:29] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Christian's Links

How are the algorithms in our lives holding us back? What are the new priorities of urban residents that businesses can help resolve? What can other sectors learn from how the luxury industry is getting sustainability right? These are some of the questions we unpack in season two of the Phenomena podcast by ReD Associates, which explores how a deep understanding of human behaviour can shape better business strategy. During each episode, ReD partner Eliot Salandy Brown interviews colleagues and industry experts on the biggest human and cultural topics of our time, to reveal how they are often misunderstood and how the social sciences can help businesses get them right.

At the core of his latest book, Christian Madsbjerg argues that business people focus too much on what we might call the “thin data” and ignore the “thick data.” That we are emphasizing too much the analytical, and ignoring the insights that can come from what some people might call the intuitive.Christian Madsbjerg is a Professor of Applied Humanities at The New School and Co-Founder of the pioneering consultancy Red Associates, a consultancy with offices in Copenhagen and New York City. For two decades he has worked as a management consultant, mostly dealing with companies in trouble. Greg and Christian dive into his latest book, Sensemaking: The Power of the Humanities in the Age of the Algorithm, touching on the Silicon Valley mindset, the art of framework selection and dating apps.Episode Quotes:What is human observationSo that's what I mean by human observation that, you know, just shut up, you know, and, try to leave your political opinions, your preconceived notions behind for a little while. And see what's going on, you know? And that is for me phenomenology, when it's practical and applicable.A problem with how we teach studentsAnd I think we often take very smart, creative students and we educate them out of the possibility of using what they learn and they end up not using what they learned. On corporations & the humanitiesWhat I found was that when big decisions are made in large corporations about things that touch our lives, there is an empty seat.Show Links:Recommended Resources:Anthro-Vision: A New Way to See in Business and Life by Gillian TettThe Peregrine by J. A. BakerHubert DreyfusClifford GeertzAbductionGuest Profile:Faculty Profile at The New SchoolProfessional Profile at ReD AssociatesChristian Madsbjerg's WebsiteChristian Madsbjerg on LinkedInHis Work:Christian Madsbjerg in Harvard Business ReviewSensemaking: The Power of the Humanities in the Age of the AlgorithmThe Moment of Clarity: Using the Human Sciences to Solve Your Toughest Business Problems

On episode 126, we welcome Professor Christian Madbjerg to discuss the elements of ‘sense-making', the benefits and limits of data collection, Moneyball and why some of the sports teams implementing purely statistical approaches aren't as successful as one may think they are, analytic empathy and using data to form deeper understandings of inter-subjective experiences, how to integrate various perspectives to gain a better understanding of the world, the interpersonal elements of psychotherapy and why therapy apps aren't as effective as hoped for, the importance of setting aside judgments to grasp individual decisions and the resistance JFK experienced during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and how the humanities (including philosophy) complement data and the sciences. Christian Madsbjerg is professor of Applied Humanities at The New School and Co-Founder of the pioneering consultancy Red Associates, a strategy consulting company based in the human sciences and employing anthropologists, sociologists, art historians, and philosophers. Madsbjerg studied philosophy and political science in Copenhagen and London. His latest book is called Sensemaking: The Power of the Humanities in the Age of the Algorithm. | Christian Madsbjerg | ► Website 1 | https://madsbjerg.com/ ► Website 2 | https://www.redassociates.com/ ► Linkedin | https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-madsbjerg-8aa73 ► Sensemaking Book Link | https://amzn.to/3j1reFt Where you can find us: | Seize The Moment Podcast | ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast  ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment ► TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@seizethemomentpodcast ► Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32208666

Natalie Hanson encourages design leaders to play the long-game, challenges designers to be less myopic, and shares the struggle of stepping back from work to focus on her health. Highlights include: ⭐ Why is it important for design leaders to be patient and persistent? ⭐ How do you tell someone they're not ready for what they've asked for? ⭐ Should other people in our organisations care about users? ⭐ How did Christian Madsbjerg, founder of ReD Associates, help you?  ⭐ When and how do you make the case for user research? ====== Who is Natalie Hanson? Natalie is a Principal at ZS, a 12,000 strong global professional services firm with more than 35 years of experience delivering products that create customer and company value.  At ZS, Natalie leads a global human-centred design, research and engineering team of over 250 people. Out and proud since 1986, she is also the executive sponsor of ZS' global LGBTQ+ community. Before joining ZS, Natalie was the Senior Director of Strategic Programs & UX Consulting at SAP, where she oversaw a portfolio of programs within the Knowledge Management function. Natalie is also the founder of AnthroDesign, a community of people working in UX and using ethnographic methods, Natalie has worked tirelessly for the past 20 years to bring people from across design and anthropology together. Her efforts have helped to spawn the EPIC conference, which aims to advance the value of ethnography in industry, as well and a number of books. ====== Find Natalie here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliehanson/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ndhanthro Website: https://nataliehanson.com/ AnthroDesign: Website: https://anthrodesign.com/ ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/  ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

TODAY'S GUEST   Christian Madsbjerg is a Professor of Applied Humanities at The New School and a co-founder of the pioneering Red Associates, a consultancy with offices in Copenhagen and New York City, which brings the human sciences to bear on strategic business problems, mostly dealing with companies in trouble.   Christian writes, speaks, and teaches on the practical application of the human sciences, latest as a Professor of Applied Humanities at The New School for social research. His work has been featured in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Washington Post, Der Spiegel, and Bloomberg Businessweek.   His latest book, Sensemaking: The Power of the Humanities in the Age of the Algorithm, was released in the spring of 2017 by Hachette Book Group, and is out in 16 languages.     EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: Growing up on a small island near Sweden. His work with Lego, helping them identify harmful, false assumptions around play and childhood. The critical value of the humanities in business, and why it's been overlooked for so long. The value of slowing down. His book, Sensemaking. His skepticism around AI, big data, and design thinking. And many other topics.   I'm a big believer in the power of the humanities, from anthropology to history, poetry to philosophy, to teach us critical tools and skills for the world of business. And I think this conversation will be eye-opening to many people.   It's one of a dozen or so weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with thinkers, designers, makers, best-selling authors, entrepreneurs, and impact investors who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to remakepod.org to subscribe.   And now let's jump right in with Christian Madsbjerg.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS [3:28] Life During Covid [14:42] Early Childhood Observations [16:27] A Path of Early Projects [20:03] Rebuilding Lego [27:28] Assumptions and Questions [29:13] Introducing Humanities to the Business World [34:38] Sensemaking and the Role of Humans vs Technology [41:59] The Concept of the Human [44:36] An Observation of Design Thinking [49:10] How to Pay Attention [51:08] H1B [54:29] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Christian's Links

Christian is the co-founder of management consultancy ReD Associates & Professor of Applied Humanities at The New School and Senior Partner in Red Associates. Christian's work is based on his interest in the practical application of the Human Sciences. Christian teaches philosophy at The New School in New York City and helps out in larger organizations as an advisor. Timestamps ______________________ 0:00 - Christian's Story & His Heroes 13:44 - Heidegger, Technology & Nature 19:46 - How do we reconcile capitalist systems with the need to preserve the world? 27:03 - Human Intelligence in a world of Big Data 33:47 - The Value of the Humanities & its importance in human progress 39:05 - An Anthropologist Walks Into a Bar.... 45:21 - How Anthropology can solve problems 54:03 - Social Sciences and Ignorance ' 59:56 - What is Christian's Utopia? Mentioned ______________________ ReD Associates Sensemaking: The Power of the Humanities in the Age of the Algorithm by Christian Madsbjerg The Question Concerning Technology by Martin Heidegger Nassim Nicholas Taleb Credits ______________________ Thumbnail: Illustration by Tim Robinson Music: A Journey Through The Universe – Lesion X --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/utopia-is-now/message

Millie Arora and her colleagues at ReD Associates defy the norm of strategy consultants. They strive to uncover how human behavior influences the decisions leaders make and employ the social sciences to help businesses see their clients, their opportunities, and the world more clearly. Millie brings us on a journey into her work in “fast and slow money,” how different generations approach financial decisions, and how social scientists help companies and people when tackling difficult decisions.   Inside the ICE House: https://www.theice.com/insights/conversations/inside-the-ice-house

This week our guest is Christian Madsbjerg who is the Professor of Applied Humanities at The New School in New York and co-founder of the consultancy Red Associates. In this episode, we primarily discuss the ideas put forth in Christian's latest book, Sensemaking: The Power of the Humanities in the Age of the Algorithm. Amongst other things, this includes exploring some of Christian's key principles such as looking at cultures instead of individuals, looking at people's experiences in their natural environment rather than in the lab, and looking at thick data (which includes context and passion) instead of thin data which tends to focus solely on cold hard facts. While most of this conversation will explore the shortcomings of a data-obsessed decision-making, we start off with a conversation Christian and I had started before recording dealing with his latest fascination: attention. Follow Christian's work at https://madsbjerg.com/ * Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

Breaking down silos, trying to help people to work together across boundaries of discipline, profession and culture, is a difficult job and one that Christian Madsbjerg has spent much of his career trying to accomplish with much success. Madsbjerg is the co-founder of the consulting company, ReD Associates, Professor of Applied Humanities at The New School and has just launched a new venture called Lateral Data.On this episode, Madsbjerg talks with Annelise Riles about diagnosing silo problems and removing them in business, health care and other industries. He also discusses the silos that exist at research universities, which he calls the “mother of all silos.” Madsbjerg, author of Sensemaking: The Power of the Humanities in the Age of the Algorithm, also talks about artificial intelligence, algorithms and the need for an infusion of humanistic approaches into algorithms or as an alternative to algorithms.

Charlotte Vangsgaard is a partner at Red Associates, a strategic consultancy firm with offices in Copenhagen and New York, which is all about what it calls a “human-centred approach” to doing business. Across a host of sectors from tech to finance and mobility, Vangsgaard is helping companies to unlock their real potential, inside and out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a great pleasure to welcome back Gillian Tett, who chairs the Editorial Board in the US for the Financial Times. She has a regular column at FT, writing about finance, business and the political economy. Gillian's work is all about looking at the world through different lenses, and moving from tunnel vision to lateral vision. It's about leveraging diversity, embracing the unknown, and learning from others in non-related fields, cultures, and geographies.  In this interview, we talk about her new book, "Anthro-Vision: A New Way to See in Business and Life," and we cover a lot of topics from an anthropological perspective. We also talk about controversial topics like Bitcoin and Trumpism, as well as more enduring issues like leadership, and what that looks like in this VUCA world that we live in. So whether you're a business leader, a policy maker, an investor, or even just a parent worrying about how your kids appear to be over-reliant on technology, I hope you will find this conversation as fascinating and inspirational as I did.  What Is Covered: - The three principles of the anthropology mindset and what being an anthropologist means in the corporate world - How the concept of barter and social silences plays out in the world of AgTech and “free” services - Why teenagers are glued to their cell phones and what kind of needs in physical space the cyberspace is fulfilling - The concept of fast and slow money, and people's behaviours around money  - Understanding Trumpism from an anthropological perspective - How Bitcoin and cryptocurrency tribes are changing the economy and the power structures   Key Takeaways and Learnings:  - Barter trade terms in the world of AgTech need to be reset to make it more equitable, giving a lot more transparency to consumers, giving consumers more control over the duration of the trade, and creating data portability. - The four skills that anthropology can offer to any leader are the ability to have empathy for difference, to flip the lens and look back at yourself with a sense of humility, the ability to look outside the model, and to recognize that we need to think about people's human behavior and how culture matters.  - Cultural phenomena like Balinese cockfighting rituals are a good way to make sense of Trumpism, and of what's happening with Elon Musk and Bitcoin in terms of defining tribal groups, the role of rituals and symbols, and the role the emotions play Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:  - “Anthro-Vision: A New Way to See in Business and Life” by Gillian Tett https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Anthro-Vision/Gillian-Tett/9781982140960  - Connect with Gillian Tett on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/gillian-tett/  and Twitter https://twitter.com/gilliantett  - Data & Society https://datasociety.net/  - ReD Associates https://www.redassociates.com/  - “The Interpretation of Cultures” by Clifford Geertz https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465097197/  - Why Anthropologists are More Interested in Bitcoin Than Economists, by Mick Morucci https://bitcoinmagazine.com/culture/anthropologists-are-interested-in-bitcoin  - “Who Can You Trust” by Rachel Botsman https://rachelbotsman.com/books/  - The Conversation https://theconversation.com/global  - Colliding with the Unexpected with Gillian Tett on OutsideVoices Podcast https://outsidelens.com/colliding-with-the-unexpected-with-gillian-tett/  Connect with Mark Bidwell: - LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/markbidwell/  - Twitter https://twitter.com/markehb 

Christian Madsbjerg is a professor at the New School for Social Research in New York City, where he teaches German and French philosophy from the 20th century. He has also founded a company called Red Associates. Red Associates is a Social Science-based or anthropology-based company to advise on human behaviour and how humans make sense of the world, and what is meaningful and important to them from the level of experience.In this conversation, we explore perspectives on the role of social science in business. Here are some of the things that stood out for me.Design systems, products and services for humans?This might sound obvious or, as Christian described, banal. Yet, much of the thinking around organization has come from management science. In many ways, management science attempted to bring the rigour of science to the business world. As a result, the field has been influenced by disciplines like economics, engineering and Mathematics. Social Science has much to contribute to the study of human arrangements. The proposal is simple. Reduce risk by using social sciences to produce new products and services in the business world.Do not pass judgement too quickly.Understanding people is about waiting, careful observation and not passing judgement too quickly. To find insight, we have to observe humans slowly, intentionally, and patiently. We need to be open to the first judgement not being true. Building your capacity to suspend judgement is the core to finding good insight.Seeing things work.When you see things work, it can be transformative. Using slow observation, you can find frugal, novel or simple insights that can be transformative.Disappointment is a better source of innovation than wonder.Where do people find inspiration in their search for innovation? It is an interesting provocation to ask the question, what disappoints you? What are you disappointed in, and how can you change it? Think for a second about where you find your inspiration. Where are the philosophers?The technologies of tomorrow will transform our future in ways we cannot imagine. What if we had philosophers at the decision-making tables? For example, what if there were philosophers in the room when we first launched Facebook? What questions might they have asked to help curtail some of the unintended consequences of technologies like social media?Insights can spread like wildfire.When an organization can find beneficial insight, it can spread throughout the organization. Insights can be fuel for transformation.Who is too comfortable in their power?Christian gave the example of what happens when Finance and Technology are too comfortable in their power. When one of these becomes too comfortable, it does not end well. This might be true of any domain. When people are too comfortable, especially too comfortable in their power, it can increase their blind spots. How do you notice when you are too comfortable in your power?Be interested in humans. We often find comfort in abstractions, models, or systems when we need to be focused on humans. When need to be interested in the things humans do, feel and say every day. We live in a world that has placed enormous trust in abstractions that don’t often get us as far as we thought.You are probably wrong.Christian tells a beautiful story about working with Samsung. At the time, he thought it was a terrible idea to put a camera on the phone. What he learned is that it is better to go with observation and analysis than intuition.Tap into talent as it is globally.It cannot be that the best people in the world all come from the same country as you. It does not work that you tap into talent globally. Learn to tap into global talent.Questions can change your world.Christian shared a story about working with Adidas. They asked the question, “Is Yoga a sport?” That question took the company on a journey to explore sports that are not about winning. Today, 60% of their revenue comes from sports that are about winning.What is like to be?The central message from Christian is to observe. His favourite quote is, look, don’t think. As I understand it, he is on a quest to understand why people do what they do? When we observe the everyday activities of real people, we gain real insight. We need to start with observing everyday human interactions. Questions bring perspective. They often can lead to insight or something new.To learn more about Christian Madsbjerg, visit:https://www.redassociates.com/

Dengang jeg læste filosofi i begyndelsen af mine 20'ere blev jeg ofte spurgt, hvad jeg kunne bruge det til. Faktisk endte jeg med at skifte til psykologifaget, fordi det var nemmere at se en fremtid i et fag, hvor uddannelsen endte med en titel, som jeg selv og min omverden kunne forstå. Men hvorfor har vi så svært ved at forstå, hvad de humanistiske fag kan bruges til? Jeg tror faktisk, vi overser et enormt potentiale hos de unge studerende på de "bløde" fag. Vært: Svend Brinkmann. Gæster: David Budtz Pedersen, professor mso ved Aalborg Universitet og Christian Madsbjerg, stifter af og direktør i ReD Associates. Tilrettelægger: Christoffer Heide Høyer.

Christian Madsbjerg is Professor of Applied Humanities at The New School and Co-Founder of the pioneering consultancy Red Associates.Christian insists that, in order to address the leadership crisis that exists in today’s world, we need a new way of seeing. The ability to talk and work across disciplines and traditional silos of thinking is rooted in the Phenomenological approaches of Heidegger and Merleau-Ponty and its an approach for which Christian Madsbjerg continues to advocate.In this conversation, we push back against the ironic shallows of Silicon Valley and Design Thinking as well the limitations of our current way of imagining the university.Learn more about Christian Madsbjerg at https://madsbjerg.com/

Lachlan Morton is one of the most interesting characters in professional cycling. He is better known for his championing of an alternative style of biking, one that involves breaking free from the shackles of what's expected. Only 28yrs old yet already an icon within the world of cycling. I was his team mate when he first entered the World Tour back in 2012, we became friends immediately even though I was 35 and he was 20, I saw so much of my 20yr old self in him and have always followed him from afar since our paths separated. Mikkel, on the other hand, only knew Lachlan from his film "Thereabouts" - a film Lachlan and his brother Gus made in 2014 as an antidote to the professional racing life - that film reignited a passion for cycling that Mikkel had lost. It's become a movement since, and without knowing it Lachlan and Gus created what is now a zeitgeist. Find Lachlan here on IG.His film Thereabouts here.Mikkel Rasmussen's ReD Associates can be found here.David Millar's CHPT3 can be found here.

Christian Madsbjerg, a professor at The New School and co-founder of the consultancy Red Associates, talks about conducting better high-stakes decision making under stress and why we need to overhaul how knowledge is created and organized.

Design has been welcomed into many disciplines over the past couple decades. While it’s exciting to see the world embracing design and problem-solving skills to help teams make critical decisions and strategies, sometimes it feels like “design” has been distilled down to a one-size-fits-all process. Is it possible that in today’s design practice, we’ve forgotten about the importance of aesthetic, delight, and quality? Have designers lost their unique voice and POV? In Episode 38, as T+M grapple with what’s happening in design, they turn to their longtime friend and colleague Christian Madsbjerg, Human Science guru and Founder of ReD Associates, for a chat. The trio explore the value of the designer’s perspective and discuss questions that matter to design today: What happened when “design thinking” entered the mainstream. Is everyone really a designer? Can design address all of our problems? Fear not, Yah, No listeners, there may be a middle ground. Or as Christian prefers to call it: The third wave of design. Oooh, we like that. Grab your headphones and (for pun’s sake, your surfboard), as we dive into this idea of the third wave of design with the very inspiring Christian Madsbjerg. Don’t miss this one!

This episode is about Mikkel and I, how cycling introduced the two of us and the off-bike friendship it's created. I interview Mikkel about his life and work: it's a conversation we would never have in normal circumstances. Mikkel talks about cycling, economics, design, and anthropology, and ultimately; what being human means. We did this in Copenhagen at the HQ of the company Mikkel co-founded, ReD Associates - thank you to Thomas Hughes, Ian Dull and Martin Gronemann for putting up with my interrupting their day to interview them. ReD is a company like no other, and that was the other reason I wanted us to do this episode, because personally I wanted to understand more about what they do. It filled me with hope, and in this crazy time we're living in that's important, because without hope there is no optimism.I recommend everybody reads Mikkel's book: The Moment of Clarity.I mentioned I'd list some Scottish inventions - here are the ones relevant to this podcast: pedal bicycle, tarmac roads, pneumatic tyres. Find more here.Find David's CHPT3 here.Find Mikkel's Red Associates here.Find the OFF BIKE SOCIETY here.

The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed a tidal wave of interest around best practices in remote collaboration. But the problems emerging from the crisis are testing team problem-solving on a whole new plane. The problems will require highly complex interdisciplinary collaboration. Scientists and technologists across fields are collaborating on urgently needed innovations in diagnostics and therapy. AI experts are gathering with biologists, demographers and policymakers to harness insights on pandemic contagion and its social impact.ReD Associates put together this episode of Phenomena to explore what kinds of problems require interdisciplinary collaboration and how teams get it right when experts are coming from radically different world views. Drawing from a recent project with Facebook Reality Labs, we reconvened our research team composed of an anthropologist, cognitive scientist and machine learning expert to share their experiences of learning together and collaborating.

David Millar and Mikkel B Rasmussen relaunch the OFF BIKE podcast. Ironically it is happening when we're forbidden by the law to ride our bikes, our respective countries of Spain and Denmark have us on lockdown during the Coronavirus pandemic. Being literally off bike was never the plan when we created this, yet here we are, we discuss our current situations and what we make of it all, and we try to explain why we've been absent and what we have planned. Previous episodes include:#1 - Sir Paul Smith (Designer) #2 - Phil Gilbert Jr (Head of Design at IBM)#3 - Tim Marlow (Director of the Royal Academy of Arts in London David Millar - David, ex professional racing cyclist, is one of the founding partners in CHPT3, a company created to serve and supply the third space in our life, the time that exists beyond our family and work. It's origins lay in cycling and that is where it is currently focussed. David has written two books, Racing Through the Dark and The Racer, as well as numerous articles and essays. He was the principal consultant to Stephen Frears during the production of The Program, and helped Finlay Pretsell make feature documentary, Time Trial. During the summer months he will mainly be found alongside Ned Boulting commentating on bike races for British television.Mikkel B Rasmussen - Mikkel, one of the founding partners of ReD Associates, is a specialist at applying human science to business problems. As the director of ReD Associates Europe, he works closely with the top management of some of Europe's most forward looking companies, including Adidas, Lego, and Novo Nordisk. In his practice at ReD, Mikkel has pioneered new thinking on how to make social science methodology practical, creative and effective in business. He is the co author of the book "The Moment of Clarity - How to Use Human Science to Solve Your Hardest Business Problems" published by Harvard Business Press in 2014 as well as numerous articles and essays. Mikkel holds a Master in Economics from Maastricht University and Master of Applied Social Science from University of Roskilde.

Christian Madsbjerg is the cofounder of ReD Associates, and author of Sensemaking: The Power of the Humanities in the Age of the Algorithm and The Moment of Clarity. We’re also so pleased to announce that he’ll be speaking at our inaugural Advancing Research conference (March 30-April 1 in NYC). In this episode of Rosenfeld Review, Christian and Lou discuss the differences between social sciences research and data science, and the challenges that arise when organizations try to align them. Christian and Lou also touch on academic chauvinism, the shortcomings of anthropology (despite how much Christian appreciates the subject), and the importance of looking at “people as people.” Register for Advancing Research 2020: https://rosenfeldmedia.com/advancing-research-2020/register/ Christian’s recommended reading: Radical Empiricism by William James and The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure by Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff (the book is an expansion on an article of the same title which appeared in The Atlantic in 2015 https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/09/the-coddling-of-the-american-mind/399356/) More about Christian: In addition to working closely as an adviser to senior executives, Christian Madsbjerg writes, speaks, and teaches on the practical application of the human sciences in business. His work has been featured in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Washington Post, Der Spiegel, and Bloomberg Businessweek. His latest book, Sensemaking: The Power of the Humanities in the Age of the Algorithm, was published in the spring of 2017 by Hachette Book Group. His book The Moment of Clarity, co-written with ReD partner Mikkel B. Rasmussen and published by Harvard Business Press in the fall of 2014, has been translated into 15+ languages. Christian is currently teaching at The New School in New York City and working on a new book about the power of observation. He studied philosophy and political science in Copenhagen and London and has a Masters from the University of London.

Christian Madsbjerg makes sense. Literally and figuratively, in all the definitions of the phrase. With roots in philosophy and political science, Madsbjerg brings a refreshingly human approach to his work as an author, screenwriter, professor, entrepreneur, and business advisor. In the face of some of the greatest concerns of our time—the climate crisis, technological upheaval—he challenges assumptions and advocates for reflection, deep reading, single-tasking, solitude, and yes, slowness. Though he doesn’t abide by the “digital detox” method, Madsbjerg does operate without a smartphone.While Madsbjerg is not immune to the contemporary swell of panic and anxiety, his approach is calm, methodical, and sometimes humorous. The co-founder of ReD Associates—a strategy and consulting firm that takes an interdisciplinary approach to advising big companies through observation, social science, and problem solving—the multifaceted Madsbjerg is an astute observer of human behavior. The author of Sensemaking: What Makes Human Intelligence Essential in the Age of the Algorithm and co-author of The Moment of Clarity: Using the Human Sciences to Solve Your Hardest Business Problem, he is in the process of writing a book called How to Pay Attention and a comedic screenplay about immigration in the U.S., tentatively titled H1B. He also teaches social science, social theory, and discourse analysis at the Parsons School of Design at The New School. On this episode of Time Sensitive, Madsbjerg speaks to Andrew Zuckerman about the importance of long-view historical research, the problematic nature of “design thinking,” the deep value of a liberal arts education, and the relevance today of Martin Heidegger’s philosophical perspectives on time and technology.

In the first episode of Phenomena, the team at ReD Associates asks: What is a generation, anyway? And how do companies successfully study and understand cultural signifiers in order to capture the spirit of a generation? Eliot Salandy Brown and Sandra Cariglio discuss what Greta Thunberg's followers teach us about Gen Z, why the Ford Mustang has staying power through generations, and how we go about interpreting differences in generational identity across cultures. www.ReDAssociates.com

When the big players: Amazon, Coca Cola, Facebook, Leggo, Ford Motors, face product trouble and they just cannot understand why – they call on Christian Madsbjerg. He and his company ReD Associates are totally transforming the old, flawed marketing models that are so popular and so inaccurate. Host Bart Jackson invites Madsbjerg on to discuss what’s wrong with the big-data and impersonal survey methods employed by most firms and why they simply do not reflect human reality. To find out how Leggo blocks can compete in the digital-screen-oriented age, and what Ford truck owners really want out of their vehicle, Madsbjerg insists that we need human contact, not algorithms. In his immensely well received books Sensemaking and Moment of Clarity he shows how business has been lured into false assumption by “weapons of math destruction” and how a more anthropological approach is need to get us back on track.

We thought we would replay one of the most important episodes of last year - the episode with Christian Madsbjerg, the author of “Sensemaking”. Christian’s point of view has become the basis of so much of what we do on this podcast. We don’t often read books that change how we think about the world. Our guest on this episode, Christian Madsbjerg, wrote a book “Sensemaking” that did just that. Christian’s consulting firm ReD Associates has, in their own words, led a quiet revolution in business thinking. This book is a treatise on Christian’s underlying philosophical framework for ReD’s goal to bring the humanities and social sciences into today’s businesses dominated by technology, data, and analytics. We hope that you will find that Christian’s perspective will make your rethink your assumptions about the critical importance of the humanities in today’s fast paced world.

Jimmy is not by far the classical UX designer, he’s a full on anthropologist working in the design space, or more so the product space.He found his way into design through an article that described how the company Red Associates used the social sciences to solve complex problems for some of the largest companies in the world. He spend a couple of years at Designit, but the constant focus on speed, being at an agency, wasn’t for him. Today you’ll find him at Maersk, a company that needs to rethink how they’re doing business if they want to survive. Here Jimmy is doing research to stop bad ideas for being executed. He compares research with Tetris. Usually designers think about the falling block, Jimmy is thinking of the landscape the piece is falling into.He believes UX designers should take more responsibility as decision makes and not just be skilled craftsmen.

We don’t often read books that change how we think about the world. Our guest on this episode, Christian Madsbjerg, wrote a book “Sense Making” that did just that. Christian’s consulting firm ReD Associates has, in their own words, led a quiet revolution in business thinking. This book is a treatise on Christian’s underlying philosophical framework for ReD’s goal to bring the humanities and social sciences into today’s businesses dominated by technology, data, artificial intelligence, and analytics. We hope that you will find that Christian’s perspective will make your rethink your assumptions about the critical importance of the humanities in today’s fast paced world.

Our guest today has had an amazing journey. He was a Captain in the Air Force, had a decade-long career at the RAND organization - a world-renowned, non-profit research organization, - and now as a partner at ReD Associates. ReD is a strategy consulting company based on the human sciences. Bill Welser has done groundbreaking work around privacy, artificial intelligence, industrial ecosystems, commercial drones, and cryptography. We talked about Artificial intelligence, and how our humanity - and our bias - creeps into it.

Revolutionary Market Mentor Christian Madsbjerg tells why major corporations are discarding big-data models for human reality. When the big players: Amazon, Coca Cola, Facebook, Leggo, Ford Motors, face product trouble and they just cannot understand why – they call on Christian Madsbjerg. He and his company ReD Associates are totally transforming the old, flawed marketing models that are so popular and so inaccurate. Host Bart Jackson invites Madsbjerg on to discuss what’s wrong with the big-data and impersonal survey methods employed by most firms and why they simply do not reflect human reality.

In today’s tech-driven economy, it seems like it can be hard to justify the value of a traditional liberal arts education. But given the speed at which AI-driven advancements are taking over traditional jobs—even technical ones—perhaps a better understanding of humans and their cultures is exactly what we need. Because being product-driven really means people people-driven—and we’re betting few people understand the human experience better than the author of Sensemaking, and co-founder and Senior Partner of ReD Associates, Christian Madsbjerg. In this episode, Aarron and Eli chat with Christian about using tools from human and social sciences to inform business decisions. Christian’s expertise helps clarify the methods a lot of fast-moving companies botch, like gathering proper ethnographic research, and the hazards of conducting focus groups. Together, they also dig into the pros of a liberal arts education and how it helps foster the crucial skill of critical thinking. Put on your thinking cap and enjoy this interview with Christian Madsbjerg, and thanks for listening. Christian Madsbjerg’s bio For the past 20 years, Christian Madsbjerg has worked as a management consultant—but he writes, speaks, and teaches on the practical application of Human Sciences. So far, his work has been featured in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Washington Post, Der Spiegel, and Bloomberg Businessweek. Madsbjerg’s latest book, Sensemaking: The Power of the Humanities in the Age of the Algorithm, was released in the Spring of 2017 by Hachette Book Group. His first book, Moment of Clarity, co-written with Mikkel Rasmussen and published in the Fall of 2014, has been published in 15+ languages. Christian studied philosophy and political science in Copenhagen and London, and has a master’s degree from the University of London.

In Episode 14 of Hidden Forces, host Demetri Kofinas speaks with Christian Madsbjerg. Christian Madsbjerg is the founder of ReD Associates, a consultancy group focused on helping companies bridge the qualitative divide between themselves, their products, and their customers. The anthropologists, sociologists, economists, journalists, and designers who make up ReD employ the methods of social science to study human behavior. Instead of minimizing complexity, they embrace the non-linearities illuminated through human experience, helping companies reinvent themselves and their products from the bottom up. In today’s conversation we examine the world from the perspective of human experience. This is what philosophers call “phenomenology.” Rather than objectify reality, we will revel in its subjectivity. Rather than discount our senses in favor of hard data, we will discount the data in favor of our experience. Experience matters. Reality is messy. Data is fuzzy. The problem of consciousness is hard. Try as we might to fit the world to our models, reality has a stubborn way of eluding even the most disciplined researcher. The most experienced traders don’t make decisions off of a spreadsheet. They use their intuition. The same intuition that you use when deciding who you can trust, if the price you are paying for something is too high, or if there’s something off about a room, or a scene, or a story you’ve just heard. To discount the authoritative wisdom that comes from lived experience is to discount the very question that has lead you down the path of inquiry. It is to discount everything that makes life meaningful. And if we want to understand the world around us – why we do what we do – then that journey must begin and end, with the human experience. Producer & Host: Demetri Kofinas Editor & Engineer: Stylianos Nicolaou Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @hiddenforcespod

'I wanted to write a book about how magical people are, as opposed to machines. How enormously efficient we are at understanding things, particularly each other, in a way that no machine will ever come close to doing.' Through his work with ReD Associates, Christian Madsbjerg helps companies make better decisions by better understanding what is meaningful to their customers. In a world of Big Data and machine intelligence, he argues, it's vital to remember the extraordinary power of human intelligence: the humanities, he argues, are the best starting point for business thinking. He also offers a refreshing take on writing a book, as something which can and should create controversy, provoke a reaction, and acknowledges just how hard it is: 'I find writing delightful sometimes, but most of the times I just find it quite tough.' A thought-provoking and insightful discussion that reminded me, at least, of what really matters in life.

Christian Madsbjerg and Mikkel Rasmussen - The Moment of Clarity: Using the Human Sciences to Solve Your Toughest Business Problems, Co-Founders at ReD Associates where they employ social sciences to study human behavior. Christian Madsbjerg has been leading projects and client programs since ReD’s foundation. He writes, teaches, and speaks about the kinds of methods and reasoning needed for fact-based investigations of human activity, emotions, and decision-making processes. He is the author of books on social theory, discourse analysis, and politics. Mikkel B. Rasmussen, a specialist in innovation strategy, is the Director of ReD’s European division. Mikkel founded Mindlab, the first innovation lab for the public sector in Denmark. His work focuses on helping companies create and implement a direction for the future and figure out where and how to focus innovation. He’s on the board of Copenhagen Clean Tech, numerous startups, and several design policy and management firms. What we learn in this episode: • What are the 3 most common types of problems a business can face and which ones are best solved with human sciences? Problems that are known (algorithmic problems).  These can be solved with numerical analysis and spreadsheets. Hypothetical problem.  You have seen the problem before and you can create a hypothesis and calculate your way back. Unknown problems.  Problems that you aren’t sure even exist, but you tend to know something is wrong. These can only be found out using human sciences and observation. • Is yoga a sport? Well, that decision is up to you.  But fitness is now 50% of the sporting industry and women are the largest consumer of sporting apparel. • Why do consumers lie in focus groups? Most people answer questions the way they would like to believe they act.  They would like to think they make rational decisions based on analysis.  However, science has shown us that the majority of the time this is not true. • ReD makes sense of the culture outside a company utilizing 5 phases: Ask the right question Study consumers in their natural environment Pattern recognition and analysis Insight – what to do with the information gained Make sure that the company can understand the recommendations and be ready to act on it. • If you are a business, stop phrasing your question in business terms – phrase it in personal terms.  Turn it into a human question, something that people can experience. Notable Quotables from Christian and Mikkel: 

The Legatum Institute, Harvard Business Review and USC Sidney Harman Academy for Polymathic Study hosted an intensive half-day conference on how different disciplines think about the future. The first session discussed how different disciplines approach forecasting, and how science, technology and human judgement are interlinked to determine the best outcomes when making predictions and tracking behaviour. Discussants: Matthew Barzun, US Ambassador to the UK, Ben Page, CEO of Ipsos Mori and Mikkel Rasmussen, Europe Director of ReD Associates. The conversation was moderated by Jeffrey Gedmin, President and CEO of the Legatum Institute.

Ugens gæst i MediaCast er Mikkel B. Rasmussen, partner i konsulentvirksomheden Red Associates, som rådgiver om innovation, vækst og kundeindsigt og bl.a. har rådgivet internationale mediehuse som Egmont og Sanoma. Hver uge leverer MediaCast et overblik over ugens vigtigste medienyheder og går i dybden med et tema, som en aktuel gæst belyser og diskutere på baggrund af egne erfaringer og input på tendens-radaren. MediaCast er produceret af Mehlsen Media for MediaWatch og podcastet med hjælp fra PodConsult. Har du ideer eller feedback til MediaCast, så skriv meget gerne til Camilla: mail@mehlsenmedia.dk

Jun Lee Partner, ReD Associates, New York recounts experiences working with Lego to restore the brand.