This article is part of the series “Where Theory Meets Survival,” inspired by my Doctorate in Business Administration coursework — specifically, the Theory of Organizations class. Each post explores how academic frameworks became practical tools during a real-world rebranding and transformation journey.

Sensemaking in Times of Disruption

When companies embark on major transformations, most leaders focus heavily on strategy. New business models, shiny technology stacks, reimagined brand identities — the tactical pieces dominate attention.

But during my DBA journey — and more importantly, through real-world experience — I realized the real threat to transformation is not strategic failure.
It is sensemaking failure.

When people cannot understand, internalize, and find meaning in what is happening, even the best strategy collapses under confusion and resistance.

Understanding how sensemaking works — and how to foster it intentionally — can determine whether organizations thrive or fracture during times of change.

What Is Sensemaking?

The concept of sensemaking first took hold through the work of Karl Weick, a pioneer in organizational behavior. At its core, sensemaking is the process through which people interpret confusing, surprising, or ambiguous situations to restore order and understanding.

It is not about analyzing facts coldly — it is about storytelling, identity, and action.
Weick emphasized that sensemaking is:

• Triggered by ambiguity: Something unexpected happens.
  
• Retrospective: We make sense of what has already occurred.
  
• Social: Meaning emerges through conversation and collaboration.
  
• Identity-driven: How we see ourselves shapes how we interpret events.
  
• Ongoing and messy: Sensemaking is never fully complete.
  
• Grounded in action: We often act first, then figure out what it meant.
  
  

In organizations, sensemaking is happening constantly but it becomes critical when routine expectations are disrupted. And disruption has become the rule, not the exception.

Why Sensemaking Matters for Organizational Change

Major transformations are not just operational disruptions. They are identity disruptions. Employees do not only wonder, “How do I do my job differently?”

They wonder:

• “Am I still valued here?”
  
• “Do my skills still matter?”
  
• “Can I succeed in this new environment?”
  
• “Will the company I believed in still exist?”
  
  

When leaders focus solely on new strategies or technologies without helping teams navigate these identity shifts, organizations lose energy, trust, and cohesion. Sensemaking gives employees a bridge between the known past and the uncertain future. Without that bridge, they are left adrift and transformation efforts struggle to gain real traction.

Sensemaking in Action: Lessons from a Strategic Pivot

During my time supporting a major company rebrand and pivot, this reality became impossible to ignore.

The organization was transitioning from a traditional language service provider into a multilingual data services company, specializing in datasets for AI model training and fine-tuning.

On paper, the strategy was strong.
In reality, it triggered massive internal uncertainty:

• Sales teams wondered how to explain the new offerings.
  
• Project managers questioned if their roles still fit.
  
• Support teams felt adrift between old processes and emerging needs.
  
  

At first, leadership tried the classic approach: emails, leadership videos, official “town halls.”

Information flowed. But sensemaking did not happen.

It became clear that success would require more than messaging. It would require meaning.

Here is what made the difference:

• Cross-functional dialogues: not just announcements, but real conversations.
  
• Localized translations of strategy: helping each team see how the pivot affected them specifically.
  
• Celebrating early adapters: making new identities visible and valued.
  
• Creating emotional safety: acknowledging uncertainty rather than pretending everything was clear.
  
  

Sensemaking became the key that turned strategy into cultural alignment.

How Leaders Can Build a Sensemaking Culture

Sensemaking does not happen by accident. Leaders must actively design environments where people can co-create understanding.

This includes:

• Creating spaces for open-ended conversation, not just presentations.
  
• Encouraging multiple interpretations at first, rather than forcing consensus too quickly.
  
• Respecting emotional journeys, recognizing that sensemaking often involves grief for what is being lost.
  
  

Organizational change efforts that ignore the human need for sensemaking often face passive resistance; or worse, quiet disengagement. Those that embrace sensemaking create cultures where uncertainty becomes fuel for growth.

Leading organizational sensemaking is not about launching another communication plan. It is about rebuilding trust, identity, and direction — one conversation at a time. Sensemaking happens when people can see themselves in the future being built, not just watch it happen around them.

Final Reflections: From DBA Theory to Real-World Leadership

In my Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) coursework, especially during the Theory of Organizations class, sensemaking felt abstract — an interesting academic model.

It was only when leading through real-world transformations that I understood its true power. Theory met survival.

Organizations do not fail because people resist change.
They fail because people cannot make sense of change.

Helping teams reconstruct meaning during disruption is not optional leadership work. It is the work.

How are you helping your teams make sense of the future?
I would love to hear your experiences — feel free to comment or message me.