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Sensemaking in Safety Critical and Complex Situations
sphere. However, over the recent years, focus on embodied sensemaking has emerged
( Maitlis & Christianson, 2014). This research is connected to cognitive science and
the related embodied cognition, where cognition, body, and context are viewed as
three interrelated concepts that are in constant interaction with each other ( Fahim &
Rezanejad, 2014). Cunliffe and Coupland ( 2012) argued that “ embodiment is an integral part of sensemaking” ( Cunliffe & Coupland, 2012, p. 64) and that we make sense
of our lives and ourselves through embodied interpretations of our ongoing everyday
interactions and experiences. They theorized the process as “ embodied narrative sensemaking”. Through an analysis of rugby players, they demonstrated how the players
made sense of their surroundings and experiences in sensory as well as cognitive
ways; “ sensemaking is not necessarily an information-processing activity but draws
on an intuitive and informed feeling in his b ody – he senses the lines of force, the distance, his adversaries’ positions on the field, and his critics off the field” ( Cunliffe &
Coupland, 2012, p . 77). They argue that we cannot separate our bodies from the context, in addition to the cognitive sphere “ organizing also operates on a sensory level
through sensory knowing and bodily sensations” ( Cunliffe & Coupland, 2012, p. 83).
Embodied sensemaking is interesting in a maritime context where navigating a
ship involves working in a highly dynamic environment. The form of tacit knowledge
needed to maneuver a ship has been referred to as ship sense ( Prison, Dahlman, &
Lundh, 2013). Ship sense is presumed to play an important role in the dynamic interaction between the ship and the navigator. The navigator must handle the ship’s distinctive maneuverability and the navigation instruments available, as well as account
for the dynamic factors such as wind, waves, current and visibility that affect each
other and the ship. When sailing in open sea with strong winds and high sea-state, the
autopilot may be deliberately disengaged in order to steer the ship manually, and the
more implicit knowledge to “ get a feel for” the ship’s movement becomes important.
Both visual and other senses are engaged to feel the heaving motions of the vessel
in the sea. Ship sense is needed to know when to take action, like slowing down or
slightly altering course in relation to the direction of the oncoming waves ( Prison
et al., 2013), thus it is vital for the safety at sea.
SenSemaking iS Social
A lot of peoples’ activities in organizations are concerned with collective efforts to
make sense. Weick ( 1995) describes sensemaking as a social process where people
actively shape each other’s meanings. Sensemaking is never solitary as peoples’
internal constructions or thoughts are created through interaction with others.
In organizations “ decisions are made either in the presence of others or with the
knowledge they will have to be implemented, or understood, or approved by others”
( Weick, 1995, p. 39). Sensemaking can thus be seen as unfolding between individuals
as intersubjective meaning is constructed through a joint process of building understanding together ( Maitlis & Christianson, 2014).
However, shared meaning is difficult to attain. People can share experiences
although the sense made of it may differ significantly. For organizations, it is not even
necessary that people share meanings to be able to coordinate action. It is sufficient
to have minimal shared understanding or equivalent meanings ( Brown et al., 2008;
Sensemaking in Safety Critical and Complex Situations
sphere. However, over the recent years, focus on embodied sensemaking has emerged
( Maitlis & Christianson, 2014). This research is connected to cognitive science and
the related embodied cognition, where cognition, body, and context are viewed as
three interrelated concepts that are in constant interaction with each other ( Fahim &
Rezanejad, 2014). Cunliffe and Coupland ( 2012) argued that “ embodiment is an integral part of sensemaking” ( Cunliffe & Coupland, 2012, p. 64) and that we make sense
of our lives and ourselves through embodied interpretations of our ongoing everyday
interactions and experiences. They theorized the process as “ embodied narrative sensemaking”. Through an analysis of rugby players, they demonstrated how the players
made sense of their surroundings and experiences in sensory as well as cognitive
ways; “ sensemaking is not necessarily an information-processing activity but draws
on an intuitive and informed feeling in his b ody – he senses the lines of force, the distance, his adversaries’ positions on the field, and his critics off the field” ( Cunliffe &
Coupland, 2012, p . 77). They argue that we cannot separate our bodies from the context, in addition to the cognitive sphere “ organizing also operates on a sensory level
through sensory knowing and bodily sensations” ( Cunliffe & Coupland, 2012, p. 83).
Embodied sensemaking is interesting in a maritime context where navigating a
ship involves working in a highly dynamic environment. The form of tacit knowledge
needed to maneuver a ship has been referred to as ship sense ( Prison, Dahlman, &
Lundh, 2013). Ship sense is presumed to play an important role in the dynamic interaction between the ship and the navigator. The navigator must handle the ship’s distinctive maneuverability and the navigation instruments available, as well as account
for the dynamic factors such as wind, waves, current and visibility that affect each
other and the ship. When sailing in open sea with strong winds and high sea-state, the
autopilot may be deliberately disengaged in order to steer the ship manually, and the
more implicit knowledge to “ get a feel for” the ship’s movement becomes important.
Both visual and other senses are engaged to feel the heaving motions of the vessel
in the sea. Ship sense is needed to know when to take action, like slowing down or
slightly altering course in relation to the direction of the oncoming waves ( Prison
et al., 2013), thus it is vital for the safety at sea.
SenSemaking iS Social
A lot of peoples’ activities in organizations are concerned with collective efforts to
make sense. Weick ( 1995) describes sensemaking as a social process where people
actively shape each other’s meanings. Sensemaking is never solitary as peoples’
internal constructions or thoughts are created through interaction with others.
In organizations “ decisions are made either in the presence of others or with the
knowledge they will have to be implemented, or understood, or approved by others”
( Weick, 1995, p. 39). Sensemaking can thus be seen as unfolding between individuals
as intersubjective meaning is constructed through a joint process of building understanding together ( Maitlis & Christianson, 2014).
However, shared meaning is difficult to attain. People can share experiences
although the sense made of it may differ significantly. For organizations, it is not even
necessary that people share meanings to be able to coordinate action. It is sufficient
to have minimal shared understanding or equivalent meanings ( Brown et al., 2008;