Writer Tim McVicar explores the power of collective sensemaking in innovation and strategy. Discover how integrating diverse perspectives helps organizations navigate rapid societal and technological changes, avoiding common pitfalls of superficial innovation for more meaningful, resilient outcomes.

We're drowning in knowledge, yet struggling to solve complex challenges. Expertise is locked in silos, hindering our ability to see the bigger picture. Tim argues for shared understanding built through the interactions of diverse perspectives. This bridges the gap, empowering informed decisions, fostering innovation, and building resilience in a rapidly changing world.

This article identifies societal polarization as a "wicked problem"—complex social issues that are difficult to solve due to incomplete knowledge, numerous stakeholders, and interconnected nature with other problems. The author argues that social media's advertising model has deepened societal divisions, creating echo chambers where different viewpoints become sources of hostility rather than understanding. Drawing on design theorist Richard Buchanan's work, the piece suggests that wicked problems like polarization, climate change, and inequality require systems thinking combined with collaborative, iterative approaches that understand both big picture and contextual details.