Making sense and meaning

There is sensemaking and there is meaning making. 

When things happen we have the opportunity to look at them, talk about them and make sense of them. 

As we do that, we thread our own meaning into those events. Our own lens or perspective. 

Through sensemaking we may well understand what’s going on. But it’s not until we make meaning of it that it really ... you know ... means something to us. 

It’s possibly why businesses the world over may struggle with change. Some things just don’t make any sense ... so what could that possibly mean? 

> Sensemaking is great for insight, strategy and decision making. 
> Meaning making is wonderful for connection, engagement and trust. 

Film makers and story tellers do both so well, building up complex layers of sense and meaning, building tension and intrigue, teasing the mind and then ... touching the heart. 

It makes sense AND it means something. 

Help people make sense, sure. 

Then leave it with them to settle or ‘marinate’ allowing them time to make meaning. 

And then ... listen to their meaning. 

Is there a better way of doing this

When we’re doing something in one way, do we wonder is there a better way? Rather than finding just any old way to do a task or activity, what would make it better... better for you and your situation?

And what is ‘better’ anyway? Better happens when something is more acceptable … to us or perhaps to our customers, clients, family, colleagues or community.

It might be better because:

It’s quicker

It’s less stressful

It’s easier

It’s smoother

It uses less energy

It’s more affordable

It takes less effort

It happens faster

It makes us happier

It protects us

It extends our life

It cares for others

It is kinder, more efficient… and on and on we can go.

It’s a personal thing to identify what would make something better for you. And when focus is directed towards better, we can make decisions, change things and choose ways that will work for us.

For the better. My next book is coming soon ... ‘Better ways of thinking and working: How changing the way you do things, changes what you can do’. 

Is it really a pivot or just catching up

As we adapt to new ways of thinking, working and living, the word ‘pivot’ has gained ’traction’ 😩 cliché alert - urgh!

Is it really a pivot or are we just catching up on what needed to be done some time ago? Did we see the need, test the tech and talk about it, only to have initial hopes swamped by "too hard, too complicated, too busy - don’t have time”?

To pivot is indeed to change, rotate, shift direction.

To catch up is to work quicker, to increase your pace so you are ...at pace.

If it’s a big shift, then it is. If it’s doing what we could have started a while ago, we’re catching up. Nothing wrong with that.

In catching up we learn, experiment, gain insight and feedback. We can accelerate, speed up, adapt rapidly. As Madeline Kahn‘s ‘Eunice’ in the classic film ‘What’s up Doc?’ says, ‘Don’t over-dramatise’. There’s no benefit in making what we’re doing even more dramatic than it already is.

Overwhelm, worry, and ‘I need to do better’ live there and the dangers of perfectionism can become painfully visible. We can still do meaningful, purposeful and impactful work without the added panic that we’re also in a dramatic pivot.

Explore your ingenuity

When we’re faced with a problem or challenge, things may not work the way we’d like them to. We can become frustrated about that; we might complain, wish it were perfect, give up or... we can explore our ingenuity.

Ingenuity is our very own Department of Clever. Ingenuity is when we’re resourceful, using what we have. It’s how we fix or juggle things and make them work.

It could be how we make things fit in a cupboard or shelf, or how we prop up a computer screen on books or boxes so the camera is level with our eyes.

Ingenuity could be how we’re cleverly using space at home, or how we throw a few ingredients together for a kind of meal we’ve never made before.

Some of the best, most practical solutions come about when we explore our own resources of clever. And even if you don’t think you’re clever all the time, your ingenuity is still there ... waiting to go to work the next time you challenge it.

Try the ‘explore’ option next time a struggle or challenge is upon you and see what your mind delivers up to you in order to solve it. Ingenuity is a different resource to creativity, and it’s part of how we learn, survive and adapt in the world.

Clever you!

It’s not the same

No it’s not.

The experience of online isn’t the same as face to face.

Working remotely isn’t the same as working alongside others in the same location.

The pasta isn’t exactly like your favourite restaurant.

The marketing you’re doing isn’t the same as last time.

If things aren’t the same as we expected or hoped, we just need to adapt. We can adapt systems and processes, routines and rituals. And we can adapt expectations too.

Adaptations are happening all the time even if they are tiny micro adaptations. Even if we don’t really notice them.

And if we aren’t adapting? Perhaps we are resisting. Or waiting... waiting for the old to return so that things can be the same again... But it’s not the same. No it’s not. And here we go around again...knowing it’s not the same.

Thankfully, cleverly we are an adaptive species. We can keep adapting and we can keep helping and supporting those around us as they adapt too.