This document Making Sense of the Complex World together: Workshop Design and Facilitator Guide is created by AstraZeneca team, and informed by Dervin’s Sense-Making Methodology. During COVID-19 crisis period, this internal document is made publicly available. We hope this resource will be useful for other companies and institutions who need to build communication and collaboration capabilities in times of great uncertainty. For more information, please contact: Dr Bonnie Cheuk – Global Capability Lead, Learning Agility & Learning Culture Credit: Dervin’s Sense-Making Methodology (http://www.sense-making.org)

1. Making Sense of the Complex World together
Workshop Design and Facilitator Guide
Dr Bonnie Cheuk 8 Apr 2020

2. This document Making Sense of the Complex World together: Workshop
Design and Facilitator Guide is created by AstraZeneca, and informed by
Dervin’s Sense-Making Methodology.
During COVID-19 crisis period, this internal document is made publicly
available. We hope this resource will be useful for other companies and
institutions who need to build communication and collaboration capabilities
in times of great uncertainty.
For more information, please contact:
Dr Bonnie Cheuk – Global Capability Lead, Learning Agility & Learning Culture
Credit: Dervin’s Sense-Making Methodology (http://www.sense-making.org)
About this Toolkit
Acknowledgement

3. Workshop Design: Making sense of the complex world together
• Introduce the concept of Mr Squiggly crossing the bridge in order to move forward in life/work
• Step 1: Use the Sense Making Questions
• Self reflection (2 min each person – in silence)
• Group sharing (2 min each person to share their experience)
• Step 2: As you listen to others sharing their experience [in parallel to step 1]
• Listen, find connections, notice common or diverging themes
• Step 3: What have I learned and next steps
• What have I learned? Now what? Paying it forward! Share!
• Closing: Thank you to all participants for enriching one another’s thinking
• Group hug (stand in circle in a room) OR
• Virtual hug (on a blank sheet of paper, draw/write a note of thanks – take a group picture)
• Facilitator to post highlights and pictures as a follow up

4. 4
Sense-Making Methodology Institute http://www.sense-making.org
Q1: Where do I/we want to
achieve? What are my/our goals?
Q2: What situation am I/are we
facing? What led up to this point?
Q3: What challenges,
questions, muddles do I/we
have? How do I/we feel?
Q4: What is helping me/us?
What gets in the way?
Q7. What are the (big or
small) steps I/we can take
to move forward?
•
•
•
Q6. If I/we have a magic
wand, I/we would like….
Q5. Are there forces that
constraint me/us (e.g.
speak up, diversity
challenge, )?
….
Suggested activities: In groups of 4, share how you see the situation, guided by these questions.
Take turns to share your experience, 2 mins max per person. Do not interrupt the speaker until 2 mins is up.
Variation: Focus on a past event, use these questions to recall what happened
Making sense of the complex world together (Step 1)

5. 5
When speakers share their experience, listen, find connections, notice common or diverging themes
Listen attentively
How does what I heard connect with me
•
•
•
How does what I heard connect with my
team, my function, my community
•
•
•
Find Connections
How would the speaker be help?
•
•
•
How can I / my team help?
•
•
•
Take
Give
What are the common themes (after
hearing everyone’s experience)
•
•
•
Notice diverse viewpoints
What are the diverging themes (after
hearing everyone’s experience)
•
•
•
What led to these divergence? (e.g.
assumptions, context etc.)
•
•
•
Making sense of the complex world together (Step 2)
Sense-Making Methodology Institute http://www.sense-making.org

6. 6
After learning from my colleagues’ experience, what have I learn, unlearn from the group reflection on [topic x]. Share
back with the group. 1 min each.
What have I learned? My new understanding of [topic
x] is…
•
•
•
Paying it forward! Who else would benefit from my
understanding of [topic x]? How would I share?
•
•
•
Now What? What actions make sense? By Whom?
(define SMART next steps)
•
•
•
Share! What is the one piece of advice I would give to
colleagues facing similar situations?
•
•
•
Making sense of the complex world together (Step 3)
Sense-Making Methodology Institute http://www.sense-making.org

7. Confidentiality Notice
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Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0AA, UK, T: +44(0)203 749 5000, www.astrazeneca.com
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