I’m thrilled to sit down with Ling-Yi Tsai, a seasoned HRTech expert with decades of experience in guiding organizations through transformative change. With a deep focus on HR analytics and technology integration across recruitment, onboarding, and talent management, Ling-Yi has a unique perspective on how leaders can navigate uncertainty and foster hope in complex environments. In this conversation, we dive into the concept of sensemaking as a leadership superpower, exploring how it differs from traditional approaches, its role in creating meaningful dialogue, and its power to help teams interpret and adapt to an ever-changing world.
Can you share what sensemaking means to you as a leadership skill, and how it stands apart from more conventional leadership styles?
To me, sensemaking is about helping a team or organization find meaning in ambiguity rather than just providing clear-cut answers. It’s a leadership skill that prioritizes curiosity and collective understanding over control. Unlike conventional styles where leaders are expected to have solutions ready, sensemaking focuses on facilitating conversations that uncover insights from diverse perspectives. It’s less about being the expert and more about being a guide who helps others connect the dots, especially in uncertain situations like tech disruptions or organizational shifts.
Why do you think sensemaking is becoming increasingly vital in today’s workplace?
The workplace today is flooded with information and rapid change—think AI transformations or hybrid work models. We’ve moved beyond just needing data; now, it’s about interpreting what that data means for us. Employees are looking for leaders who can help them navigate this complexity, not just dictate a path. Sensemaking builds trust and resilience because it involves everyone in the process of figuring things out, which is critical when no one, not even the leader, has all the answers.
How do you see sensemaking playing a role in creating hope for employees during uncertain times?
Sensemaking creates hope by showing employees that their concerns and ideas matter. When leaders engage in open dialogue instead of handing down reassurances, it builds a shared understanding of challenges and possibilities. For instance, during a major tech rollout in a past role, my team was anxious about job security. Instead of promising outcomes I couldn’t guarantee, we held sessions to map out what we knew, what we didn’t, and what we could control. That transparency and collaboration gave them a sense of agency, which is the root of real hope.
Can you tell us about a specific moment in your career where sensemaking helped a team find clarity or direction in a confusing situation?
Absolutely. A few years back, I was working with a company integrating a new HR analytics platform. There was a lot of fear about data privacy and job roles changing. Rather than giving a polished presentation, I organized workshops where team members could voice their worries and brainstorm how the tool could support their work. One employee pointed out a way to use the analytics for better workload balancing—something I hadn’t considered. That collective process turned fear into opportunity, and the team felt more invested in the change.
The idea of moving from the Information Age to an Interpretation Age is intriguing. How have you observed this shift impacting the way teams handle information?
I’ve seen teams become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information available now—reports, dashboards, endless updates. The shift to an Interpretation Age means the focus isn’t on gathering more data but on making sense of it together. In my work with HR tech, I’ve noticed teams are hungrier for context than raw numbers. They want to know what the data implies for their day-to-day tasks, and that requires leaders to step back from presenting facts and instead foster discussions that unpack meaning.
How do you involve your team in the sensemaking process when facing complex or ambiguous challenges?
I make it a priority to create space for dialogue. For example, during a restructuring project, I didn’t just share the plan; I started by asking the team what they were noticing about the current setup and what they thought needed to change. I use tools like visual mapping to capture everyone’s input on a shared board, so no idea gets lost. It’s about co-creating understanding rather than me dictating it, which helps the team feel ownership over the direction we take.
What strategies do you use to draw out diverse perspectives from team members during these conversations?
I often start by asking open-ended questions like, “What’s one thing you’re seeing that others might not?” or “How does this situation look from your role?” I also make a point to invite quieter voices into the discussion by checking in with them directly or breaking into smaller groups where people feel safer sharing. Another tactic is to explicitly welcome disagreement—I’ll say, “I’d love to hear a different take on this,” to signal that diversity of thought is valued.
Can you walk us through how you’ve used reflective inquiry or generative questions to shift a team’s thinking in your leadership experience?
Reflective inquiry has been a game-changer for me. During a project where onboarding tech was failing to engage new hires, instead of jumping to fix it, I asked the team, “What are we noticing about how new hires are reacting to this system?” and “What’s different about their experience compared to what we expected?” Those questions led to a deeper discussion about user experience gaps we hadn’t considered, and the team came up with a better customization plan. It shifted us from blame to curiosity.
The idea of replacing standard update meetings with sensemaking sessions is compelling. Have you experimented with this approach, and if so, how did it play out?
Yes, I’ve tried this in talent management reviews. Instead of the usual status reports, I started meetings with, “What are we observing about our talent trends right now?” We used a shared digital whiteboard to map out thoughts and connections. The focus was on understanding patterns—like why certain roles had high turnover—rather than just reciting numbers. It took some getting used to, but it led to richer insights and more collaborative problem-solving than the old format ever did.
What’s your forecast for the role of sensemaking in leadership as workplaces continue to evolve with technology and uncertainty?
I believe sensemaking will become a core competency for leaders in the coming years. As technology like AI reshapes how we work, and as global challenges keep us on our toes, the ability to help teams interpret and adapt to change will be more critical than ever. Leaders who cling to the old model of having all the answers will struggle, while those who master facilitating collective understanding will build stronger, more agile organizations. It’s not just a skill—it’s the future of leadership.