A quick introduction to the SCAN sensemaking framework, as a savoury storytelling…
This morning I cooked myself an Egg in the pan. This was (S)imple and delicious. A known and repeated practice, and you could nearly anticipate and salivate… Fast and (S)imple, very good when you are in hurry .. and who is not ?
It is Friday, and I am thinking about the Pizza I will do with my kids this Saturday. I try and make it (S)imple for them, they just put the tomato sauce and lay out the mozzarella and the ham on the pasta, but it has to be on their own part of course, separately from the family one, the big square one.. . They are so proud to have their own made pizza in 5mn !! For me it is a bit more (C)omplicated of course. I have to prepare the pasta in advance, give natural yeast 2-3 hours to raise, in the owen with just a lamp at 30 degree , and I put a bit of white white wine and origan IN the pasta, this is my secret :-). Tomato sauce is also prepared in advance , with origan, olive oil, garlic, and boiled 2h at 90 degrees to be really deep. This could look (C)omplicated for just a pizza, and yes this is a mini project in itself, but as you repeat the process, every Saturday , it becomes a ritual and , you do not really think about it passed the third time, you become a master (i.e. a “chef” in French) . And this is so savoury and fun…
(C)omplicated , but Much (S)impler than organising the party for next week , 3 courses menu, seated diner of 15 people, taking care of the met and wine accord, 5 layer cake dessert (home made by me !!), and caring about peoples taste, the one you know, and guessing the one you don’t … Also, who sit next to who, as People’s relationship has nothing to do with science, even (C)omplicated but everything to do with (A)mbiguity… you never can guess the final result for sure, there is not definitive receipt for the perfect party…that would be known by now :-). Just plain heuristics learned here and there… Thinking helps for sure, but Gut feeling is the key here, when you can still listen to it, i.e. if you are not underwater because of apprehension…
This reminds me , when I was invited once to an African wedding… That was really (N)ew for me… unknown food, unkown taste even , (some I could not really go along even ), unknown social groups, unknown customs…; How to behave to be as smooth as possible, still enjoy it… Well, all I could do was try and experiment from what I knew, and see if what that still worked… Observe first, get some Orientation, Decide and Act.. that went pretty well finally, as I found out.
This was 15 years ago, and I still remember it; I realised I could go in Unknown territory and survive it finally… :-). A good Experience in fact. I learned that Unknown and Ambiguity is not a problem, especially if you realise and accept it is not a matter of true or false, like in Math or science, and that human realm is so much bigger that you could imagine..
Well, this is not really (N)ew isn’t it ?
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
– Hamlet (1.5.167-8), Hamlet to Horatio

Related :
Tom replied with easy examples
Quick SCAN examples
J’aime ça :
J’aime chargement…