an online book by David Gurteen
Sensemaking is the process of understanding and interpreting events, situations, or information in order to make sense of them and make informed decisions. It involves gathering and analyzing data, generating hypotheses and theories, and reflecting on our own and others’ perspectives.
Sensemaking or sense-making is the process by which people give meaning to their collective experiences. It has been defined as "the ongoing retrospective development of plausible images that rationalize what people are doing" (Weick, Sutcliffe, & Obstfeld, 2005, p. 409). The concept was introduced to organizational studies by Karl E. Weick in the late 1960's and has affected both theory and practice. Weick intended to encourage a shift away from the traditional focus of organization theorists on decision-making and towards the processes that constitute the meaning of the decisions that are enacted in behavior.
Credit: Wikipedia - sensemakingGurteen Knowledge Blog June 27, 2021, 18:30I want to introduce you to an exciting new project initiated by the Civilization Research Institute – the Consilience Project – co-founded by Daniel Schmachtenberger. If you are not familiar with Daniel’s work, take a look at this video series on the War on Sensemaking. I have put together below … Continue reading The Consilience Project Making better sense of the world
The Cynefin Framework | Dave Snowden Posts that link to this post We Humans Are Complex Human socio-technical systems are complexPeople: Dave SnowdenDave Snowden Management ConsultantPosts: Dave SnowdenCarpe Diem – Seize the Day Seize the day everyoneChanging People ** The challenge of trying to change peopleConversations Through the Cynefin Lens Unraveling the intricacies of everyday conversationsThe … Continue reading The Cynefin Framework Dave Snowden
Gurteen Knowledge Blog January 3, 2021, 16:20At times, “talking rubbish” can be a good thing. Let me explain. Too often in a conversation, while trying to make sense of an issue, we find ourselves saying something that we immediately realize is ill-conceived. Our conversational partner picks up on it a little more quickly than we do … Continue reading Talking Rubbish It is through taking rubbish we make sense of the world
What can we trust? Why is the ‘information ecology’ so damaged, and what would it take to make it healthy? video player The War on Sensemaking | Daniel Schmachtenberger (Rebel Wisdom) Comments Trusting Information The central message of this talk by Daniel Schmachtenberger is that we cannot trust any of the information in our global … Continue reading The War on Sensemaking I Daniel Schmachtenberger (2019)
Proselytism is solemn nonsense, it makes no sense. We need to get to know each other, listen to each other and improve our knowledge of the world around us. Sometimes after a meeting I want to arrange another one because new ideas are born and I discover new needs. This is important: to get to … Continue reading Proselytism Is Solemn Nonsense Pope Francis
Daniel Schmachtenberge is a founding member of the Consilience Project Daniel is a founding member of the Consilience Project, aimed at improving public sensemaking and dialogue. The throughline of his interests has to do with improving the health and development of individuals and society, with a virtuous relationship between the two as a goal. Towards … Continue reading Daniel Schmachtenberger A founding member of the Consilience Project
Gurteen Knowledge Blog June 20, 2021, 14:50I blogged recently about the Consilience Project — co-founded by Daniel Schmachtenberger. The project team have now launched the Consilience Project website. The project aims to facilitate a cultural renaissance, developing the full human capacities and orientations needed for effective, emergent governance adequate to the novelty and scope of the … Continue reading Consilience Project Website Facilitating a cultural renaissance
Please stop saying you researched it. You didn’t research anything and it is highly probable you don’t know how to do so. Did you compile a literature review and write abstracts on each article? Or better yet, did you collect a random sample of sources and perform independent probability statistics on the reported results? No? … Continue reading Please Stop Saying You Researched It Linda Gamble Spadaro
AustraliaAustriaBrazilCanadaChinaCzech RepublicEgyptFranceGermanyGlobalIndiaItalyJapanMexicoNetherlandsPolandSaudia ArabiaSingaporeSpainTurkeyUAEUnited KingdomUnited States As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission when you purchase a book via this site. Posts where this book is embedded Bake Conversation Into All That We Do ** There are so many ways to leverage conversation Collective Sense-making The Knowledge Café is a powerful collective sense-making tool Collective … Continue reading Sensemaking: What Makes Human Intelligence Essential in the Age of the Algorithm by Christian Madsbjerg
Brenda Dervin is a professor of communication at Ohio State University. Her research about information seeking and information use has led to the development of her sense-making methodology. Connecting with Specific Publics: Treating Communication Communicatively | Brenda Dervin WebsiteSense-Making Methodology InstituteWikipediaBrenda DervinYouTubeBrenda DervinGoogleBrenda DervinBooks: Brenda DervinAn Overview of Sense-making Research: Concepts, Methods, and Results to … Continue reading Brenda Dervin Professor of communication at Ohio State University
We each perceive things differently | Clip from An Ecology Of Mind directed by Nora Bateson Posts where this video is embedded Bake Conversation Into All That We Do ** There are so many ways to leverage conversation Collective Sense-making The Knowledge Café is a powerful collective sense-making tool Collective Sense-making Café ** Only a community of minds … Continue reading We Each Perceive Things Differently Nora Bateson, Tim Keanini
This book by Brenda Dervin is intended for studying users, audiences, patrons, patients, and clients in a variety of fields such as communication, cultural studies, library and information science, environmental studies, arts policy and education, and nursing. AustraliaAustriaBrazilCanadaChinaCzech RepublicEgyptFranceGermanyGlobalIndiaItalyJapanMexicoNetherlandsPolandSaudia ArabiaSingaporeSpainTurkeyUAEUnited KingdomUnited States As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission when you … Continue reading Sense-making Methodology Reader: Selected Writings of Brenda Dervin by Brenda Dervin (2003)
Gurteen Knowledge Blog July 3, 2022, 19:39To capture ideas about the future, the European Commission’s Competence Centre on Foresight has launched an event #OurFutures – Images for the future of Europe. The Centre invites you to write a short story expressing what you would like to see in the Europe of the future, with your hopes, … Continue reading Images for the Future of Europe The future can evolve in different directions, each shaped by today’s actions
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the Sense-Making approach to research – its assumptions, methods, and results to date. The intent is to provide this overview in a semi-outline form to facilitate its speedy use by the reader. No attempt is made in this paper to fully document all … Continue reading An Overview of Sense-making Research: Concepts, Methods, and Results to Date Brenda Dervin (1983)
For all our knowledge, we have no idea what we’re talking about. We don’t understand what’s going on in our business, our market, and our world. Knowledge Management shouldn’t be about helping us to know more. It should be about helping us to understand. So, how do we understand things? It’s through stories that we … Continue reading For All Our Knowledge, We Have No Idea What We’re Talking About David Weinberger
Distinguishing between misinformation and disinformation is crucial. Misinformation comes from those who genuinely believe what they say, while disinformation involves deliberate deception, cover-ups, or the spreading of falsehoods. Differentiating between them can be challenging, and even trusted sources may inadvertently spread misinformation. Credit: David Gurteen Source: Pollution of the Global Information EcosystemPosts where this quotation … Continue reading Distinguishing Between Misinformation and Disinformation Is Crucial David Gurteen
The major problems in the world are the result of the difference between how nature works and the way people think. Credit: Gregory Bateson Comment: Our world is complex. A complex world requires an understanding of how to think about complexity to make sense of it.Posts where this quotation is embedded Bake Conversation Into All That … Continue reading What Is the Root Cause of the Major Problems in the World? Gregory Bateson
video player The War on Sensemaking II | Daniel Schmachtenberger (Rebel Wisdom) The War on Sensemaking Video Series Posts where this video is embedded Bake Conversation Into All That We Do ** There are so many ways to leverage conversation Collective Sense-making The Knowledge Café is a powerful collective sense-making tool Collective Sense-making Café ** Only a community … Continue reading The War on Sensemaking II Daniel Schmachtenberger (2019)
Karl Weick is an organizational theorist who introduced the concepts of “loose coupling”, “mindfulness”, and “sensemaking” into organizational studies. He is the Rensis Likert Distinguished University Professor at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. WikipediaKarl WeickLinkedinKarl WeickYouTubeKarl WeickGoogleKarl WeickBooks: Karl WeickKarl Weick Organizational theoristTags: Karl Weick (1) | mindfulness (6) … Continue reading Karl Weick Organizational theorist
Shared meaning does not mean that people agree but that they understand each other’s perspectives well enough to accept them. There is only one way of achieving this, and that’s through real conversation. Credit: David Gurteen Source: Shared MeaningPosts where this quotation is embedded Bake Conversation Into All That We Do ** There are so many … Continue reading Shared Meaning Is Achieved Through Real Conversation David Gurteen
video player The War on Sensemaking III | Jamie Wheal (Rebel Wisdom) The War on Sensemaking Video Series Posts where this video is embedded Bake Conversation Into All That We Do ** There are so many ways to leverage conversation Collective Sense-making The Knowledge Café is a powerful collective sense-making tool Collective Sense-making Café ** Only a community … Continue reading The War on Sensemaking III, the Infinite Game Jamie Wheal (2020)
To make better sense of the world, improve decision making, strategizing, and innovation we need to convene small groups of people to engage in creative conversations triggered by powerful questions. Credit: David Gurteen Posts where this quotation is embedded Bake Conversation Into All That We Do ** There are so many ways to leverage conversation Collective Sense-making … Continue reading Making Better Sense of the World David Gurteen
video player The War on Sensemaking IV | Daniel Schmachtenberger (Rebel Wisdom) The War on Sensemaking Video Series Posts where this video is embedded Bake Conversation Into All That We Do ** There are so many ways to leverage conversation Collective Sense-making The Knowledge Café is a powerful collective sense-making tool Collective Sense-making Café ** Only a community … Continue reading The War on Sensemaking IV, Pandemic & Conspiracy Daniel Schmachtenberger (2020)
A clear, succinct 5 minutes introduction to Dave Snowden’s Cynefin Framework by Jennifer Garvey Berger. Making Sense of Complexity – an introduction to Cynefin | Jennifer Garvey Berger Posts where this video is embedded Bake Conversation Into All That We Do ** There are so many ways to leverage conversation Collective Sense-making The Knowledge Café is a … Continue reading Making Sense of Complexity – an Introduction to Cynefin Jennifer Garvey Berger (2017)
video player The War on Sensemaking V | Daniel Schmachtenberger (Rebel Wisdom) The War on Sensemaking Video Series Posts where this video is embedded Bake Conversation Into All That We Do ** There are so many ways to leverage conversation Collective Sense-making The Knowledge Café is a powerful collective sense-making tool Collective Sense-making Café ** Only a community … Continue reading The War on Sensemaking V Daniel Schmachtenberger (2020)
Abstract Background Those attempting to implement changes in health care settings often find that intervention efforts do not progress as expected. Unexpected outcomes are often attributed to variation and/or error in implementation processes. We argue that some unanticipated variation in intervention outcomes arises because unexpected conversations emerge during intervention attempts. The purpose of this paper … Continue reading The Role of Conversation in Health Care Interventions Enabling sensemaking and learning
Complex Responsive Processes Complex Adaptive Systems Vs. Complex Responsive Processes ** Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter The Cynefin framework helps you make better decisions by helping you understand your situation/context and use an appropriate decision-making method. The Cynefin framework is a conceptual framework created in 1999 by Dave Snowden to aid decision-making. It … Continue reading The Cynefin Framework A conceptual framework to help make decisions
The Difference Between Sense-making and Meaning-making What Are Beliefs? Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter If we are to create a better world, we need to make better sense of things and improve the decisions we make, especially when it comes to global issues such as climate change, regional and religious conflict, poverty, and … Continue reading Introduction: Knowledge Delusion We delude ourselves about what we know and how we make decisions
Data, Information and Knowledge The Relationship Between Explicit Knowledge and Tacit Knowledge Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Tacit knowledge is a type of knowledge that is difficult to express or communicate through words. It is a vital component of human expertise and plays a crucial role in enabling us to adapt to new … Continue reading The Importance of Tacit Knowledge Tacit knowledge is knowledge that is difficult to transfer
Deliberative Democracy ** Tolerance Is A Social Contract, Not a Moral Absolute Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or sanction. The limits to free speech Just how … Continue reading Freedom of Speech Freedom of speech is not just another value
Knowledge and Information ** The Knowledge Delusion Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter The argumentative theory of reasoning proposes that reason did not evolve to help us to reason individually but to reason together – in other words, socially. Reasoning is generally seen as the process of thinking about something to help us come … Continue reading The Argumentative Theory of Human Reason We did not evolve to reason individually but to reason socially
The Global Information Ecosystem Uncertainty ** Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Information pollution is the contamination of information with false and misleading material. Pollution of the info-ecosystem The quality of the information in our global information ecosystem is paramount. To reduce uncertainty and make good sensemaking and decision-making, we need to trust the … Continue reading Pollution of the Global Information Ecosystem The contamination of information with false and misleading material
Pollution of the Global Information Ecosystem Filter Bubbles, Epistemic Bubbles and Echo Chambers Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Uncertainty refers to situations involving imperfect or unknown information. Uncertainty refers to situations involving imperfect or unknown information. The importance of high-quality information To make good decisions, envisage, or plan a future, strategize, and act … Continue reading Uncertainty ** Uncertainty refers to situations involving imperfect or unknown information
V. Nurture Community I. Take Responsibility Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter The problem – our world is a mess. The context – our world is complex. The outcome – our old ways of working are failing—the response – read on. The story so far Our world is hyper-connected, and these connections create massive … Continue reading Introduction: Principles of Conversational Leadership The Principles of Conversational Leadership
Motivated Reasoning ** Introduction: Knowledge Delusion Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Sense-making and meaning-making are two terms that are often confused or used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings. Sense-making Sense-making is defined in many ways. Here is a definition by Gary Klein. Sense-making is the ability or attempt to make sense of … Continue reading The Difference Between Sense-making and Meaning-making The terms have distinct meanings
Knowledge Is Not Power Is “useless Knowledge” Useless? Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Knowledge Management has evolved since the mid-90s, shifting from managing information to building collective knowledge. The challenge lies in adapting KM practices to meet today’s complex needs. A four-level framework can provide a structured approach, helping organizations move from information … Continue reading The Four Levels of Knowledge Management The relation between Conversational Leadership and Knowledge Management
Connecting Minds Hard Conversation Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter There are two conversations. The face-to-face external conversations we have with other people. And the silent internal conversations or inner conversations we have with ourselves, in our heads. Thinking and spoken discourse are the same thing, except that what we call thinking is, precisely, the inward … Continue reading Thinking Together Talking with each other beats talking to ourselves
Speak Last Turn Monologues Into Dialogues Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Speak in plain language: The language of many professionals is highly specialized and full of unnecessary jargon. This alienates many laypeople and those in other disciplines. To communicate effectively, we should use everyday natural language that everyone understands. The language of academics, … Continue reading Speak in Plain Language We should use everyday natural language that everyone understands.
What Is a Knowledge Worker? Introduction: Knowledge Management Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Knowledge Management tends to focus on the management of information in the belief that if we have more information, better quality information, and more accessible information, we will do our jobs better. This belief is just not true. We need … Continue reading We Know So Much but Understand So Little It is through conversation we make sense of the world
Conversation Is Not a Panacea for All Our Problems ** Oracy Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Conversations occur spontaneously in various contexts with little or no thought about who should be involved or how they should be convened or managed. Spontaneous conversations are valuable, but it makes better sense to take a more … Continue reading Become a Conversation Architect A conversation architect designs and convenes conversations
Learn by Talking Introduction: Conversational Learning Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter How do we make sense of the world so we can act in it? Collective Sensemaking How do we make sense of the world? Sense-making: How do we make sense of the world so we can act in it? Credit: Dave Snowden … Continue reading Collective Sense-making The Knowledge Café is a powerful collective sense-making tool
