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Cognitive friction

Writer: Ade McCormack
Ade McCormack
Sep 3
1 min read

What is Cognitive friction?

Cognitive friction is anything that impedes the effective flow of information, understanding, decision-making or action within an organisation. It can arise from organisational silos, excessive hierarchy, poor information quality, conflicting incentives, overloaded communication channels, unclear decision rights or incompatible technologies.


Some cognitive friction is valuable: challenge, debate and reflection can improve judgement and prevent premature or poorly considered action. Excessive or misplaced friction, however, slows the organisation’s ability to Sense, Decide and Act.


Within the Intelligent Organisation, reducing unnecessary cognitive friction improves cognitive efficiency and increases adaptiveness. The objective is not a frictionless organisation, but one in which friction exists where it improves cognition rather than obstructs it.


 
 
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