Tension Sorting Circle

Written By Matt Chave

If we are collecting frontline journals or narrative fragments, and we create a shared space to read and sort them based on felt tension, then we tend to surface meaningful contradictions, deepen collective insight, and lay the groundwork for coherence mapping and adaptive action.

Journals and microstories often capture fragments of rich organisational life, but without a way to explore them together, the signal is lost. Teams need a regular, lightweight rhythm to sort through lived experience, not by theme, but by tension and the energy that arises when expectations and reality collide.

How to use this pattern

A rhythm of collective tension noticing and sensemaking:

Gather Journal Entries

Pull recent entries from voice notes, inboxes, sticky walls, or digital forms.

Read Aloud

Read each one slowly and with tone—language matters. Rotate readers to vary emphasis and keep it human.

Cluster Fragments

Sort stories not by topic, but by energy. Use cues like:

  • Surprise

  • Contradiction

  • Improvisation

  • Emotional charge

Identify Cluster Type

Ask: Is this a coherent tension or just a shared anomaly?

  • Clear tension: pass to Coherence Mapping

  • Unclear: send to Coherence Clustering for deeper belief/value exploration

Name the Tensions

Use vivid, culturally grounded phrases (e.g. “Ghosted by users”, “We’re policy-poor”). Describe the stretch, not just the topic.

Create Inquiry Hooks

Ask: What is this tension inviting us to explore? Name it as a question or hypothesis to carry forward.

Affordances

  • Direct quotes and tension-naming rituals make patterns emotionally legible.

  • Surfaces subtle conflicts and contradictions that are felt but unnamed.

  • Sorting by theme or label can miss what’s truly in tension.

Stances

  • The Listener: tunes in to tone, pacing, and subtext in journal fragments

  • The Sorter: spots patterns of emotional or systemic friction

  • The Namer: gives tensions memorable, resonant names that travel

  • The Skeptic: asks whether we’re seeing real tension or projection

  • The Connector: links a tension to broader themes across the organisation

Matt Chave
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