Intuition's Unwieldy!

Had any experiences when you realized first impressions were way off target? David G. Myers concludes that "while intuition can provide us with useful—and often amazing—insights, it can also dangerously mislead us." Here's just one example...

In July 2002, a Russian airliner's computer-guidance system instructed its pilot to ascend as another jet approached in the sky over Switzerland. At the same time, a Swiss air-traffic controller—whose computerized system was down—offered a human judgment: descend. Faced with conflicting advice, the pilot's intuitive response was to trust another human's intuition. Tragically, the two planes collided midair, killing everyone onboard.

And there's even more to this... Consider former President, Warren Harding, a man extraordinarily handsome and distinguished looking. People's appearance, their size or shape or color or sex, can trigger powerful associations, according to Malcom Gladwell author of Blink. Stereotyping, then, can shape first impressions. Not too surprisingly, Harding's looks led many to believe he was a man of integrity, intelligence and courage. Gladwell claims, "The way he looked carried so many powerful connotations that it stopped the normal process of thinking dead in its tracks." Could that enter in to your decisions about a new hire? Let's take this one step further since it greatly affects your intuitions...

Psychologists have developed IAT [Implicit Association Tests] to determine how past associations stored in the unconscious affect our beliefs and behavior. We sort out connections faster that're already stored in our brain than those new and unfamiliar. Speed is key. Here's how it works... "When there's a strong prior association, people answer in between four hundred and six hundred milliseconds," test developers discovered. "When there isn't, they might take two hundred to three hundred milliseconds longer than that -- which in the realm of these kinds of effects is huge."

For example, most of us think we are not racist, but is that really true? Try a demonstration IAT at the Harvard University Research site and see how you fare. Malcom Gladwell, author of Blink concludes that "our unconscious attitudes may be utterly incompatible with our stated conscious values." Would you agree?

Now you can see why you need the logical side of your brain, the left brain, to help you sort out your "gut feelings." That’s where the left brain organizer steps in. You could see it as a mental master of sorts – equipped to corral and tame.

Leaders' left brains help them analyze, judge, organize and choose between one good and another.

After all you might miss hiring that once in a lifetime "genius" for your position if past associations wrongly influence you.

"I'm a great believer in the power of using intuition as a powerful analysis tool and support to decision making," Dean Bennett commented in Question Train for Brain and Mind. "In this context I am interested in your thoughts on developing and actively using our intuition." Now you can see why it's necessary for leaders to consider the logic, too.

I think we might conclude then, Dean, that intuition's unwieldy since past associations influence it. Managers might want to include logic in decision making for best results. Pays to look deeper... Agree?

How does intuition affect your choices as you manage? I'd like to hear from your experiences...

Go with Intuition?

As business professionals, can we trust our gut feelings at the board table when critical issues teeter between disaster and success? Dean Bennett says he's "a great believer in the power of using intuition as a powerful analysis tool and support to decision making. In this context I am interested in your thoughts on developing and actively using our intuition." Dean, I sense that intuition intrigues many leaders given the popularity of Malcolm Gladwell's recent bestseller, Blink. And interestingly, your right brain amps up your capability here...

Think about the case Jose Eduardo Costa brings to light...

A little over one year ago, a group of executives met to discuss the final terms of a millionaire partnership with a Mexican petrochemical company. All of a sudden, the regional marketing director stood up and said “this agreement smells fishy.” She could not pinpoint exactly what was bothering her. “I don’t know, this company doesn’t seem ethical to me,” she said. From the other end of the table, the CFO shouted, “She’s out of her mind.” The meeting was adjourned.

Put yourself around this table. Would you go along with her if you were the CEO of her Organization? How much do you need to know about a person before your intuition kicks in? Here's how it played out... The Business Administrator of her company went with his gut, accepted what she said and gave up the deal...but there's more.

A few months later this Mexican company defaulted on dozens of creditors. Interestingly, this particular business manager was part of an MBA program at University of Pittsburgh where he learned to hold brainstorming meetings in the company to encourage other managers to listen to their instincts. More and more businesses personnel rely on brainstorming and intuitive decision making.

There's two sides to relying on intuition...and maybe it won't surprise you that these two views relate to the side of the brain you personally value most...the creative right or logical left

Think of your right brain as your playground for insights – that make you, you, and you’ll begin to see its use in decision making at boardroom roundtables. Here’s the clincher, your right brain kicks in when you observe as well as when you create.

Miraculously, the right brain holds a few tricks for your judgments that tend to remain hidden until you rub the magic jar, so to speak, and that genie appears. Your amazing right brain, like the genie, can release gold as you see in the image.

To the successful manager, the magic comes quicker, and yet taming will soon be required from the left side of the brain as brainstorming for best decisions takes shape. You'll discover more about that in an upcoming post. For now consider benefits of your intuition...

Intuition Works for You "People treat intuition like it's a dirty word, but it's actually one of the body's survival mechanisms," says Antoine Bechara, Ph.D., an associate professor of neurology at the University of Iowa. "It's a means of taking you away from danger and steering you toward what is good for you."

Intuitive Confidence "Intuitive biases arise because intuitions often spring to mind with subjective ease," according to Joseph Simmons of Yale. And these personal intuitive biases lead folks to hold these with high confidence. Through intensive study, the research team discovered intuitive biases are not inevitable, but are determined by contextual variables, such as successful experiences and observation over time, that affects intuitive confidence. Dean, I sense that you have discovered your own personal intuitions fall in the ball park of 90% or more correct decisions when you go with your gut and you've developed a high sense of confidence in them.

But to give a whole picture, gems available in your logical left brain can reign in intuition from running wild. That'll take another post so stay tuned as I follow up with additional insights to Dean's question for the Question Train on Brain and Mind...

Dean and others, I'd welcome your additions or stories from your experiences...