Sensemaking is a critical cognitive skill that enables individuals to process complex information, identify patterns, and derive meaning from ambiguous situations. According to organizational theorist Karl Weick, sensemaking is "the ongoing retrospective development of plausible images that rationalize what people are doing." In the workplace, it manifests as the ability to navigate uncertainty, connect seemingly unrelated information, and develop frameworks that guide decision-making when facing novel challenges.

In today's rapidly changing business environment, sensemaking has become an essential competency across virtually all professional roles. It's particularly valuable when organizations face disruption, undergo transformation, or enter unfamiliar markets. Individuals with strong sensemaking abilities can process information from multiple sources, recognize meaningful patterns, adapt mental models when faced with contradictory data, and help others understand complex situations. They serve as organizational sense-makers who can transform confusion into clarity and ambiguity into actionable insights.

When evaluating candidates for sensemaking abilities, behavioral interviewing offers the most reliable approach. By asking candidates to describe specific past experiences where they've had to make sense of ambiguous situations, you can gain valuable insights into their cognitive processes, adaptability, and problem-solving approaches. The key is to listen for how candidates gather information, what frameworks they use to organize their thinking, how they identify patterns, and how they translate their understanding into effective action. Strong interview questions that probe for these behaviors will help you identify candidates who can thrive in complex, uncertain environments.

Interview Questions

Tell me about a time when you encountered a situation or problem that initially made little sense to you. How did you approach understanding it?

Areas to Cover:

• Initial reaction to the confusing situation
• Methods used to gather and organize information
• How the candidate structured their approach to understanding
• Steps taken to identify patterns or connections
• How they validated their developing understanding
• The eventual insight or solution they reached
• How this experience affected their approach to future confusing situations

Follow-Up Questions:

• What specific techniques did you use to organize the information you were gathering?
• At what point did things start to become clearer, and what triggered that clarity?
• How did you know when you had sufficiently understood the situation?
• What would you do differently if faced with a similar situation today?

Describe a time when you had to make an important decision with incomplete information. How did you approach this challenge?

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the decision and why it was important
• What information was available and what was missing
• How the candidate assessed what they knew versus what they didn't know
• Methods used to reduce uncertainty where possible
• How they weighed different factors despite incomplete data
• The reasoning behind their ultimate decision
• The outcome and what they learned from the experience

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you determine which missing information was critical versus nice-to-have?
• What frameworks or mental models did you use to organize your thinking?
• How did you manage the risk associated with making a decision with incomplete information?
• How has this experience influenced how you approach similar situations now?

Share an example of when you identified a pattern or connection that others had missed. What was your process?

Areas to Cover:

• The context and the specific pattern or connection identified
• What prompted the candidate to look for patterns
• Their methodology for analyzing the information
• Why others might have missed this pattern
• How they validated their insight
• How they communicated their discovery to others
• The impact of identifying this pattern

Follow-Up Questions:

• What specifically drew your attention to this pattern?
• How did you test whether the pattern was meaningful or just coincidental?
• What resistance, if any, did you face when sharing your insight with others?
• How has this experience shaped your approach to analyzing information?

Tell me about a time when your initial understanding of a situation turned out to be incorrect. How did you realize this and adapt your thinking?

Areas to Cover:

• The initial situation and the candidate's original interpretation
• What clues suggested their understanding might be flawed
• How they responded to contradictory information
• The process of revising their mental model
• How they managed any ego or attachment to their initial view
• Actions taken based on their new understanding
• Lessons learned about their own thinking process

Follow-Up Questions:

• What made it difficult to let go of your initial interpretation?
• At what point did you become convinced your original understanding was incorrect?
• How did you communicate the change in your understanding to others?
• How has this experience affected how you approach your initial interpretations now?

Describe a situation where you helped others make sense of a complex or ambiguous situation. What approach did you take?

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the complex situation and why it was challenging for others
• How the candidate assessed others' understanding and confusion points
• Methods used to structure or frame the situation
• Communication techniques employed to increase understanding
• How they checked for comprehension
• The outcome of their sensemaking assistance
• What they learned about helping others navigate complexity

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you determine the appropriate level of detail to share without overwhelming others?
• What visualization or framing techniques did you find most effective?
• How did you address different learning or thinking styles in your explanation?
• What feedback did you receive about your approach to explaining the situation?

Tell me about a time when you had to quickly make sense of an unexpected crisis or urgent situation. How did you approach this?

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the crisis and what made it unexpected
• The candidate's immediate response and information-gathering approach
• How they prioritized what to focus on first
• Methods used to create structure amid chaos
• How they balanced speed with thoroughness
• The decisions they made and their rationale
• The ultimate resolution and lessons learned

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you manage your own emotions while trying to make sense of the situation?
• What information proved most critical in understanding the situation quickly?
• How did you determine when you understood enough to take action?
• What would you do differently if faced with a similar crisis today?

Share an experience where you had to understand a complex system or process from scratch. What was your approach?

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the complex system or process
• How the candidate structured their learning approach
• Resources and people they consulted
• Methods used to break down complexity into manageable parts
• How they tested their developing understanding
• Challenges faced in the learning process
• How they determined when their understanding was sufficient

Follow-Up Questions:

• What specific techniques did you use to organize what you were learning?
• What was the most challenging aspect of understanding this system, and how did you overcome it?
• How did you identify which aspects of the system were most important to understand first?
• How have you applied this approach to learning other complex systems since then?

Describe a situation where you had to analyze large amounts of information to identify key insights or trends. How did you approach this task?

Areas to Cover:

• The context and scope of the information analysis task
• How the candidate organized and categorized the information
• Methods or tools used to identify patterns and relationships
• How they distinguished significant from insignificant trends
• The process of developing insights from the patterns identified
• How they validated their conclusions
• The impact of their analysis and insights

Follow-Up Questions:

• What specific techniques or frameworks did you use to organize the information?
• How did you determine which patterns were meaningful versus coincidental?
• What challenges did you face in the analysis process, and how did you overcome them?
• How did you communicate your findings to make them actionable for others?

Tell me about a time when you faced a situation with multiple possible interpretations. How did you determine which was most accurate?

Areas to Cover:

• The ambiguous situation and the different possible interpretations
• The candidate's process for evaluating competing explanations
• Methods used to gather additional information for clarification
• How they assessed the evidence for each interpretation
• Their decision-making process in selecting the most likely explanation
• How they monitored and adjusted their understanding over time
• The outcome and what they learned about evaluating ambiguous situations

Follow-Up Questions:

• What criteria did you use to evaluate the different interpretations?
• How did you manage any biases that might have influenced your assessment?
• At what point did you feel confident in your chosen interpretation?
• How did you communicate your reasoning to others who might have favored different interpretations?

Share an example of when you had to understand and adapt to an unfamiliar culture, environment, or industry. What was your approach?

Areas to Cover:

• The unfamiliar context and the specific challenges it presented
• How the candidate assessed what they needed to learn
• Methods used to gather cultural or contextual knowledge
• How they identified unstated assumptions or norms
• The process of adapting their thinking and behavior
• Mistakes made and lessons learned during the adaptation
• How they determined when they had successfully adapted

Follow-Up Questions:

• What sources of information proved most valuable in understanding the new context?
• What was the most surprising discovery you made during this adaptation process?
• How did you verify that your understanding of the new environment was accurate?
• How has this experience changed how you approach unfamiliar situations now?

Describe a time when you recognized a problem or opportunity that wasn't obvious to others. What led you to this insight?

Areas to Cover:

• The context and the specific problem or opportunity identified
• What prompted the candidate to see something others missed
• Information sources or observations that contributed to their insight
• How they validated their perception
• How they communicated their insight to others
• The response they received and how they handled it
• The ultimate outcome of identifying this problem or opportunity

Follow-Up Questions:

• What specific observations or information led you to this realization?
• Why do you think others hadn't noticed this problem or opportunity?
• How did you convince others of the validity of your insight?
• How has this experience affected how you scan for problems or opportunities now?

Tell me about a time when you had to make sense of contradictory or inconsistent information. How did you resolve these contradictions?

Areas to Cover:

• The context and nature of the contradictory information
• How the candidate identified the inconsistencies
• Their process for investigating the source of contradictions
• Methods used to reconcile or explain the inconsistencies
• How they determined which information was more reliable
• The resolution of the contradictions and any insights gained
• How this experience affected their approach to information evaluation

Follow-Up Questions:

• What initial hypotheses did you form to explain the contradictions?
• How did you determine which information sources were most trustworthy?
• What techniques did you use to test possible explanations for the contradictions?
• How have you applied what you learned to other situations involving conflicting information?

Share an experience where you needed to understand the root causes of a complex problem. What was your approach?

Areas to Cover:

• The complex problem and its presenting symptoms
• How the candidate distinguished symptoms from causes
• Methods used to analyze potential contributing factors
• Their process for testing cause-and-effect relationships
• How they determined the most significant root causes
• The resolution approach based on their root cause analysis
• The outcome and lessons learned about problem diagnosis

Follow-Up Questions:

• What analytical frameworks or tools did you use to structure your investigation?
• How did you avoid jumping to conclusions about root causes?
• How did you prioritize which potential causes to investigate first?
• How did you validate that you had correctly identified the true root causes?

Describe a situation where you had to make sense of rapid change in your industry, organization, or field. How did you approach understanding these changes?

Areas to Cover:

• The nature and pace of the changes occurring
• How the candidate monitored and kept up with developments
• Methods used to distinguish significant from insignificant changes
• How they identified patterns or trajectories in the changes
• Their process for updating mental models and assumptions
• Actions taken based on their understanding of the changes
• How they helped others navigate the changing landscape

Follow-Up Questions:

• What information sources proved most valuable in tracking these changes?
• How did you determine which changes required immediate attention versus those you could monitor over time?
• How did you manage any personal resistance to changing your perspectives or assumptions?
• What frameworks did you develop to help anticipate future changes?

Tell me about a time when you successfully bridged a communication gap between different groups or individuals who weren't understanding each other.

Areas to Cover:

• The context and nature of the communication gap
• How the candidate recognized the misunderstanding
• Their process for understanding each side's perspective
• Methods used to identify common ground or translation points
• How they reframed information to facilitate understanding
• The resolution of the communication gap
• Lessons learned about facilitating shared understanding

Follow-Up Questions:

• What specific misunderstandings or different assumptions did you identify?
• How did you gain the trust of both parties to facilitate better communication?
• What techniques or approaches proved most effective in bridging the gap?
• How has this experience shaped your approach to facilitating communication between different groups?

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is sensemaking, and why is it important to assess in candidates?

Sensemaking is the cognitive process through which people give meaning to their experiences, especially when facing ambiguous or complex situations. It's important to assess in candidates because it indicates how well they can navigate uncertainty, process complex information, identify patterns, and make sound decisions even with incomplete information—all critical skills in today's rapidly changing business environment.

How can I tell if a candidate has strong sensemaking abilities during an interview?

Look for candidates who can clearly articulate their thought processes, demonstrate how they organize and categorize information, explain how they identify patterns, and describe how they test and refine their understanding. Strong candidates will provide specific examples of how they've approached ambiguous situations, the frameworks they've used to create structure, and how they've helped others understand complex situations.

How many sensemaking questions should I include in an interview?

Rather than asking many questions superficially, focus on 2-3 questions with thorough follow-up. This approach allows you to dig deeper into the candidate's thought processes and get beyond prepared responses. The quality and depth of exploration matter more than the quantity of questions. For more structured interview guides, select questions that best match the level and specific requirements of the role.

Do sensemaking abilities vary by role or experience level?

Yes, absolutely. Entry-level candidates might demonstrate basic sensemaking in academic projects or personal experiences, while senior leaders should show sophisticated sensemaking in strategic contexts and an ability to help others make sense of complexity. Tailor your expectations and questions to the appropriate level, but recognize that strong sensemaking abilities can make candidates at any level stand out.

How can I distinguish between candidates who genuinely have strong sensemaking abilities versus those who just interview well?

Use probing follow-up questions to go beyond prepared answers and ask for specific details about their thought processes. Look for consistency in how they approach different types of complex situations and listen for genuine reflection on lessons learned. Strong sensemaking candidates can explain not just what they did but why they took that approach and how their thinking evolved throughout the process.

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