ABSTRACT
People create narratives about why they do things the way they do. These stories reflect how people make sense of their activities and understand the contexts in which their work is done. Our work across a variety of healthcare settings speaks to the importance of stories in shaping how people respond when they are asked to implement new ways of doing things. Understanding how people make sense of change is vital for effective implementation. Several questions can help to uncover these narratives: what are we here to do? Why are we doing it? What are the real causes behind this problem? Does the proposed solution match the known problem? If a mismatch exists between the stories people tell and the goals of an implementation, this must be addressed. Conversations can update how people make sense of what is happening and shape their stories to better align with implementation goals.
