Rethinking Knowledge Management: Key Lessons from Dave Snowden

If I had to summarize Dave Snowden’s lecture in the Knowledge Management Global Network "Knowledge Development and Innovation" course in one sentence, it would be: Forget everything you thought you knew about Knowledge Management—and start over:

• No case studies.

• No documentation.

• No traditional lessons learned or generalized takeaways.

 …And the list goes on.

So what should we focus on instead?

• Abstraction is key—it helps us make sense of complexity.

• Stepping away from reality allows us to see new perspectives.

• Embracing ambiguity fosters better knowledge development.

• Tiny, seemingly insignificant observations are often the key to innovation.

• Look beyond the likely and even past the possible—true breakthroughs hide in the improbable.

Two takeaways I’m carrying forward:

1. Build informal networks with people who trust each other. Rotate teams every few months to create new trust-building opportunities across the organization.

2. Pair young, unconditioned thinkers with experienced veterans. The young bring fresh perspectives without threatening the status quo, and together, they drive real innovation.

The result? We won’t just go far—we’ll go much further, shaping a future where knowledge may not be managed but rather- discovered, challenged, and reimagined.