Making Sense of Change Before Making the Change
Sense-Making Sprint
Read this case study if you are navigating a change like introducing new technology, rethinking ways of working, or aligning teams across functions. This case study shows how bringing the right people together early can create shared clarity, confidence, and momentum.
When a Simple Tool Change Reveals a Bigger System
What started as a seemingly simple tool change quickly revealed something bigger. The tool touched multiple teams, workflows, systems, and future ambitions. In a digitally connected organisation, changing one thing meant affecting many others.
The real challenge wasn’t the technology, it was alignment.
Uncovering the Hidden Complexity Behind Change
This organisation chose to pause before acting and invest in shared sense-making.
At an early stage, I was brought in to support a structured process that focused on understanding before deciding.
Seeing the Whole Picture Through Shared Sense-Making
How we started:
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Talking one-to-one with people across the organisation
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Uncovering known and previously unseen stakeholders
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Understanding interests, needs, ambitions, and dependencies
From this insight, we built a visual map of the wider system. This showed how the tool, teams, and processes were connected.
Bringing the Right People Together to Shape the Way Forward
With a shared picture in place, stakeholder representatives came together for a two-day, in-person sprint.
The focus was not debate, but understanding.
Together, the group:
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Built insight into each other’s perspectives and needs
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Clarified why change was needed and what future success looked like
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Explored frustrations, opportunities, and constraints
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Brought forward existing ideas and external inspiration
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Made clear decisions on what to implement and in what order
Everyone had a voice. Everyone understood the direction. Everyone was part of shaping it.
From Alignment to Action, Without Surprises
Because the groundwork was done together, the transition that followed was smooth and confident.
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Decisions were understood and supported
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Ownership was shared across teams
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Stakeholders returned to their teams aligned and informed
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The change progressed without surprises or delays
An added benefit was stronger connection across the organisation. People now knew who to call, how to collaborate, and how to move faster together.
Why This Approach Works for Any Kind of Change
This case shows that meaningful change doesn’t start with solutions, it starts with shared clarity.
By making complexity visible, uncovering different perspectives early, and dedicating focused time together, the organisation avoided months of hesitation and moved forward with confidence.
The Transformation Sprint
This case is a practical example of the Transformation Sense-Making Sprint in action.
The sprint is designed to support change across:
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Tools and technology
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Processes and systems
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Organisational structures
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Ways of working
It combines stakeholder mapping, system visualisation, and a focused sprint format to help organisations align quickly and act with confidence.
If this feels familar
If you’re dealing with similar questions around ways of working, new tools or systems, you’re welcome to book a conversation with me.
This is not a sales call.
It’s a space to think things through together.
Kat Mather
Leadership Partner
Hi, I’m Kat, founder of Design Linking. I partner with leaders navigating change and ambiguity, helping their teams build clarity, trust, and accountable ways of working that deliver real results through human-centred design and participatory experiences.
