I think we have historically tended to see intuition in a work context as equally good and bad, but now unfortunately it's seen as an increasingly bad thing. Here's just three reasons why I think it is a really important, and something we need to understand and embrace.
NOUN
the ability to understand something instinctively, without the need for conscious reasoning.
"we shall allow our intuition to guide us"
1. Listening is important, listening to yourself is also really important:
We are often told that listening to others is essential, and it is, you learn, understand and act better if you do it. You also need to listen to yourself, and actually allow yourself to have that internal dialogue / debate. If something doesn't feel right it probably isn't. And you need to sit back and think about that and how you feel and want to act as a result of it. If you are in a session with your colleagues trying to think your way through something and something doesn't seem right, or you feel something is missing, then allow your voice to be heard. The fear of ignorance is often the issue here, so working on how you position something is important, if it's not a "fact" or something that is already baked in "evidence" then position it as an area of discussion, but saying nothing is usually something that is a. hard to live with and b. it means a valuable opportunity to make something better was potentially missed.
2. Your experience counts, all of it:
Again, it doesn't matter if you have a lot of experience in a particular subject or a little experience, if you're working you've probably had enough overall experience for your intuition to count for a lot. It is common to think of intuition as an instinctual, or even a mystical phenomenon. Our hunches or assumptions are mostly on the basis of past experience and the knowledge we have acquired over time. They tend to arise without conscious awareness of the underlying mental process of information, but this can be applied differently, we can become more conscious of our intuitive thoughts and process them into our actions accordingly. There is always some wisdom in it.
3. How you feel is as important, sometimes more important, then what someone else knows:
I am reading a great book at the moment called Lessons from a Warzone by Louai Al Roumani, And Chapter One is "Don't do things right, do the right thing". I'm not saying this directly applies, but it's roughly the way to go. If you feel something, unless you get a chance to explore that feeling, to test it, to have it challenged and to build on your experiences (which are often driving it) then you will never be truly convinced by the PoV being taken.
Lessons from a Warzone by Louai Al Roumani, And Chapter One is "Don't do things right, do the right thing"
I have survived on my intuition a lot, we all have. Our experiences and knowledge over time often raise the right questions, and challenges. I often hear myself looking at something and asking "is this a genuinely good thing?" or "Do we really think is the right way to go?". We need to embrace our instincts. We need to process intuition so it's used in the right way. And we also need to be more accepting of other people and their own instinctive thoughts, don't challenge the notion of "merely using your intuition" and instead delve into the insight from that person.
Love to hear your thoughts.
Some resources:
Researchers Reveal Why Intuition Is The Most Important Kind of Intelligence: https://www.powerofpositivity.com/intuition-most-important-intelligence/
How to develop your intuition: https://www.wikihow.com/Develop-Your-Intuition#:~:text=How%20to%20Develop%20Your%20Intuition%201%20Method%201,start%20by%20considering%20all%20of%20your%20options.%20
The power of intuition in the workplace: https://www.theventuremag.com/intuition-in-the-workplace/#:~:text=%20The%20power%20of%20intuition%20in%20the%20workplace,mind%2C%20that%20he%20was%20able%20to...%20More%20
When it Comes to Innovation, Trust your Intuition: https://innovationmanagement.se/2007/07/20/when-it-comes-to-innovation-trust-your-intuition/
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