Read that out loud:

Hmm…Because…So now...

That’s the cycle of sensemaking. It has 3 fundamental steps.

We encounter things, we engage with some, we express some.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a French farmer from the 1500’s or a 21st century knowledge worker—every human experiences these three elements. Within these three elements, every idea is encountered and iterated and expressed. Every emotion felt, every insight discovered.

Just like we all live through the same 24 hours in a day, we all move through the same 3 steps.

It’s what we do in each, and how we do it, that makes the difference.

Encounter

The problem is that modern society encourages us to stay in the element of Encounters. We become the hamster running on the wheel. Working hard, feeling like we’re making progress, but largely, we’re stuck in the same spot. There’s value to the hamster wheel, but the problem is never hopping off!

Try this.

Say “Hmm”.

What do you notice?

Your mouth stays shut. We are hmm’ing so much, we never open our mouths to figure out why we are hmm’ing in the first place!

Start noticing when you say “Hmm”. You might also notice if you tilt your head to the side to express your interest (I sometimes do that.) Whatever it is, try to notice what you physically do when you find something interesting.

Engage

When you do find something interesting, immediately say “Because……” And try to say it that way, with the trailing, thinking dots in your voice. This simple act, as simple as conscious breathing (but just as neglected), is the start of Engaging with the idea you just encountered. It’s the moment you go from passive to active thinking.

Hmm (that’s interesting), because…

That takes you into an engaged mode of thinking. That is where the majority of the magic happens. Sadly, it’s also the activity that gets squeezed for time. It’s easier to mindlessly click through distractions.

But just because it’s easy to mindlessly consume, that doesn’t mean engaged thinking is hard. A lot of people try to make it sound that way. “Thinking slow is hard and tiring” they say.

No it’s not. It's usually fun and often a bit mind-blowing.

"Engage" is the middle "E". It is where we spend most of our time in “Linking Your Thinking”, generating valuable insights—and building better thinking habits that fuel us for the rest of our lives.

When you are engaged, you are leaned forward. (Again, notice your body. If your mind is engaged, your body is going to be engaged in some way too.) That posture continues into the third “E” of Express.

Express

In fact, you’ve already been expressing yourself as you’ve engaged with the idea that you encountered. But this is where you make it part of your unique perspective—which might include packaging it and sharing it with others.

So sensemaking can sound like this:

Hmm that’s interesting
Because...(of some reason you've uncovered)
So now...(you share it in an interesting way to otheres)

And when you "express" your idea, someone else might just go “Hmm, that’s interesting!”

And on it goes.

See how circular this becomes!

Sensemaking is a Cycle

These three steps form an ongoing cycle of sensemaking:

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However please remember: sensemaking is not a simple linear process. It's a curvy-wurvy road. Each element of sensemaking overlaps with the others in messy, ever-changing ways.

But it still helps to look at the sensemaking process as linear so we can audit ourselves. Here are some questions for you:

• Where are you spending the most time in your sensemaking efforts?
• Are you happy with how much time you are spending in each element?
• Are you happy with your ability to be your best at each element?

As you audit yourself, anything you want to adjust?

Test it out now

Notice your body as you move through each steps of sensemaking.

1. Encounter: When you say “Hmm…”
2. Engage: When you say “Because…”
3. Express: When you say “So now…”

Practice it today.

When you say “Hmm”, practice immediately saying “Because...”

You might just surprise yourself with what you end up saying.