Distributed Narrative Sensemaking

Purpose

Distributed narrative sensemaking, developed by Dave Snowden, uses narrative as a diagnostic and intervention tool. Instead of asking people what they think (surveys), the method asks people to share micro-narratives — short stories of real experiences — and then self-signify them using triads, dyads, and sliders. This produces quantitative patterns from qualitative data, revealing how the system actually works rather than how people say it works.

At a glance

How to run

1. Frame the inquiry (10 min). Define the topic of interest (e.g., "How do people experience decision-making here?"). Craft a prompting question that elicits stories, not opinions: "Tell me about a time when a decision was made that affected your work."
2. Collect micro-narratives (15 min). Each participant writes a short story (3–5 sentences) responding to the prompt. This is about a real experience, not a hypothetical.
3. Self-signify (15 min). Each person answers signification questions about their own story using triads (e.g., "Was this decision driven more by data, politics, or intuition?"), emotional tone markers, and sliders (e.g., "How typical is this story? 1=unusual, 5=everyday").
4. Pattern analysis (10 min). Aggregate the signification data visually. Look for clusters, outliers, and patterns. Where do stories cluster? What is conspicuously absent?
5. Sense-making dialogue (10 min). Discuss: What do these patterns tell us about how the organization actually works? Where are the gaps between espoused values and lived experience? What safe-to-fail experiments could shift the patterns?

Materials needed

• Story collection forms (paper or digital via a narrative survey tool)
• Signification instruments (triads, sliders) printed or on screen
• Wall space or digital tool for pattern visualization
• Flip chart for sense-making notes

Pitfalls & common mistakes

• Asking for opinions instead of stories. "What do you think about leadership?" produces ideology. "Tell me about a recent interaction with your leader" produces data.
• Interpreting stories for people. The storyteller signifies their own story. The facilitator does not decide what it means.
• Small sample narratives. Patterns require volume. 10 stories are anecdotes; 100+ reveal patterns.
• Jumping to solutions before sensing. Let the patterns speak before designing interventions.

Inclusion & accessibility

• Narrative collection is more inclusive than surveys — everyone has stories.
• Offer oral storytelling options for those who prefer not to write.
• Ensure prompting questions are culturally neutral and do not bias toward positive or negative stories.
• Anonymize stories to protect contributors.

Variations

• Large-scale collection: Deploy digitally to thousands of employees for organizational diagnostics.
• Workshop version: Use as a 60-minute workshop exercise with manual pattern analysis.
• Longitudinal collection: Collect stories at intervals to track cultural change over time.

When NOT to use this

• When a simple survey would suffice (not every question needs narrative complexity).
• When anonymity cannot be guaranteed and people would self-censor.
• When there is no capacity to act on the patterns revealed.

Source & further reading

• Snowden, D. J. (2010). "Naturalizing Sensemaking." In K. L. Mosier & U. M. Fischer (Eds.), *Informed by Knowledge*. Taylor & Francis.
• Cognitive Edge / The Cynefin Co. https://thecynefin.co
• Kurtz, C. F. & Snowden, D. J. (2003). "The New Dynamics of Strategy: Sense-making in a Complex and Complicated World." *IBM Systems Journal*, 42(3).