What is Sensemaking?

Sensemaking is the individual and collective process of developing a useful understanding of an ambiguous situation so people can decide how to act. It involves interpreting experience, comparing perspectives, and revising explanations as new evidence emerges.

Why it matters

It helps people compare interpretations and take useful action when information alone does not provide an obvious answer.

How it works

People notice signals, consider what those signals might mean, and act in ways that reveal more about the situation. The process is often ongoing and social: what one person sees may look different to someone with another role or experience.

Useful sensemaking makes assumptions visible, welcomes competing interpretations, and connects understanding with action. In uncertain work, small experiments can help people learn without assuming that one explanation is already correct.

There is no universal sequence that fits every situation. Approaches vary with the context and purpose; a practical description should not be mistaken for a fixed scientific model.

Example

Consider a sharp rise in support requests after a release. Developers suspect a defect, support staff hear confusion about a new workflow, and sales reports that a different customer group has recently joined. Rather than settle immediately on one explanation, the group compares specific cases, maps the sequence of events, and identifies what remains uncertain. It tests clearer instructions with some customers while investigating a reproducible technical failure separately. The observations reveal more than one contributing cause. Sensemaking develops a useful shared account that supports action, while keeping that account open to revision as further experience challenges it.

Common misunderstanding

Sensemaking can be confused with collecting more data or reaching agreement on one explanation. More information may not resolve differences in interpretation, and a coherent shared story can still leave out inconvenient evidence. There is no universal sequence that guarantees a correct understanding.

Bring together perspectives, make assumptions discussable, and consider what action would reveal more. Keep interpretations open to revision. A useful account helps people act appropriately while recognizing uncertainty; forcing consensus too early can suppress the signals that would improve their judgment.

Further reading

The Cynefin Co: sensemaking traditions and approaches

Related terms

Cynefin · Organizational Heuristics · Systems Thinking

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