The 6 Sense-Making Questions
Sense-making is map-making.
You don’t respond to events. You respond to what events mean.
Sense-making runs on questions.
The 6 Sense-Making Questions
#1. What’s happening?
You label situations.
- “This is a problem.”
- “This is unfair.”
- “This is an opportunity.”
Danger: Mislabel it. Mishandle it.
#2. Why is this happening?
You assign cause.
- “They don’t respect me.”
- “I messed up.”
- “This always happens.”
Danger: You invent causes disconnected from reality.
#3. What does this say about me?
You define identity.
- “I’m not good enough.”
- “I’m capable.”
- “I’m being overlooked.”
Danger: Events become verdicts.
#4. What does this mean about others?
You judge people.
- “They’re incompetent.”
- “They don’t care.”
- “They’re against me.”
Danger: Stories harden into assumptions.
#5. What happens next?
You predict the future.
- “This will blow up.”
- “Nothing will change.”
- “This could work.”
Danger: Guesses become decisions.
#6. What should I do now?
You choose a response.
- Avoid
- Confront
- Wait
- Act
Danger: Distorted perception drives destructive action.
Warning
You usually don’t notice your sense-making questions.
You feel the conclusions.
The Three Actions of Sense-Making
#1. Slow your response.
First explanations are distorted.
Pause. Ask, “What else could be true?”
#2. Test your story.
Sense-making requires several voices.
Say it out loud: “Here’s what I think is happening…”
Invite alternatives: “What else could be happening?”
#3. Test your solution.
“What assumptions are motivating this decision?”
More Questions
- What would my best self do next?
- What else could this mean?
- What’s behind this event?
Example
Framing drives action.
Label poor performance “lack of commitment” and you push harder.
Label it “burnout” and you offer support.
Leadership Challenge: What’s one way to test your strategy against reality.
Dangerous Stories Leaders Tell
The Overlooked Key to Leading Through Chaos
Sense-Making–Diagnose the Situation
Consider analyzing three things—people, process, and performance.
Conduct interviews, review data, and make observations to understand what’s currently happening.
Involve others. Check in with your customer, colleagues, and other well-informed people to get their take on the current situation.
Some of the issues that cause people not to see reality clearly include:
• Fear—some leaders don’t want to deal with the tough problems and conflicts that will arise.
• Jumping to conclusions based on limited data or observations.
• Overemphasizing or underemphasizing certain facts or the most recent events.
• Selective listening—some executives only focus on the evidence that supports their point of view.
• Bias—deep-seated stereotypes and biases cause some leaders to filter how they interpret information and events.
• “Yes People”—some leaders surround themselves with people who only tell them what they want to hear.