Sensemaking is the ability to create and share meaning, especially in our ever-changing modern era. It is about "...the generation of reasonable interpretations, which can be reviewed in practice, or in consultation with others, to determine their plausibility, and later refined or abandoned ...".
It is about structuring the unknown by providing guardrails and growing understanding. Generally, giving others a map of the current reality and helping them to navigate. Through sensemaking you reassure, build a shared understanding and purpose.
You need to be open-minded because everyone has preconceptions about the nature of your external environment. You need to let go of your existing model in order to perceive the changes in your external environment.
e.g. not updating your mental model of your business landscape may blind you to new competitors, disruptors.
Heuristics
Get out there and learn from others - those who've been there before, so you can avoid repeating mistakes. Learn from competitors, from customers. Compare your views with those of others and consider a variety of ideas.
"Vicarious Learning": Draw insights from others' prior experiences to avoid mistakes and encourage progress.
++Given the previous point about being wary of preconceptions, it's interesting to consider how to balance consulting others (who may have 'legacy' mental models) and remaining open to new possibilities.
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Reach out to others: acknowledge that you don't have all the answers.
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Ask high-quality questions: Good questions are those to which you don't have a preconceived answer. Open-ended questions, where you allow room for a complete response, are encouraged.
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Understand your culture: Be especially conscious of the language you use to describe concepts, having researched them.
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Get started by looking honestly at yourself - what are you comfortable / uncomfortable doing?
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High-performing teams are not necessarily in agreement. You should expect diversity of opinion, emotional strain, disharmony as necessary growing pains for improved long-term performance.
Building a map, which allows you to move into action. Providing a degree of certainty to those with whom you work, allowing a shared understanding from which to take action.
Trying new things to test assumptions, test solutions and see what works.
Sensemaking can be enacted at the macro, organisational and personal level:
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Macro: similar to PESTLE
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Organisational: e.g. employee performance, customer satisfaction, falling processes, business performance, competitive advantage
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Personal: motivation, your performance, home/family situation, your personal style
Upon joining Takeda. Dr. Plump had a 6-week period with "no responsibility", since his predecessor remained in role. This gave Dr. Plump cause for reflection - since he noticed himself disagreeing with some decisions made, but he reserved judgement and used the opportunity to learn about the organisation, the wider business landscape and the opportunities ahead.
Dr. Sorrell received a BCG report on arrival at Paul Quinn, which he feels provided him with a beneficial lens on the organisation and its performance. He assessed the performance realities of the organisation and developed a plan to move ahead.
One of the first things Dr. Allikments did was to reach out to others and have them share their view of what makes a typical project team. This allowed her to evaluate what might make her team (TAK-079) different. She also spoke with small biotech companies to understand her own team's limitations & restraints.
Maeve Coburn partnered with an organisation which focused on Gestalt in OD. This approach focuses on dealing with the human side of large-scale change.
Prof. Ancona comments that during times of disruption & change, resistance to change can manifest itself in some self-protective human behaviours.