It is a valuable resource for human beings and, perhaps especially, for entrepreneurs and managers. Many, like Bill Gates, openly admit: "You often have to be guided by intuition." It has certainly been recognized that intuition plays an increasingly important role in decision-making by senior managers, so that this subconscious process - largely unknown and from which transcendent revelations emerge - occupies an unquestionable place in management. Business schools did not seem to deal much with intuition, but it could be both because of the complexity of developing it, and because of the risk of generating a type of visionary leaders who, allowing themselves to be carried away by an alleged intuition, neglected the cultivation of the capacity for analysis and of prudence.As surely not all that glitters is intuition, experts invite us to recognize intuition when it occurs, and ask us not to close the doors to reason and explicit or tacit knowledge.
It could be said, improvising, that intuition is a kind of knowledge or message that reaches us without us knowing how to explain how, that it impacts us sensibly, and in which we trust in a special way; but by means of some dictionary definitions, we can ensure a first approach to the concept that concerns us: "Ability to know, or knowledge obtained, without resorting to deduction or reasoning", "Clear, intimate, instantaneous perception of an idea or truth, such as if it were in view and without reasoning "," Faculty of understanding things instantly, without reasoning "… Yes, let's say that we can refer to intuition as a quality of the intuitive (we say that it is a sixth sense), as an act of intuiting (we speak of hunches, hunches, premonitions…) and also as an intuited signal or message.
But some experts allow us to delve into the phenomenon: Carl Jung insists that intuition is not contrary to reason, but resides outside of it; Weston Agor refers to intuition as "the ability to integrate and use information stored on both sides of the brain", and also tells us that "intuitive signals are transmitted in the form of feelings"; Burke and Miller argue that "intuition results from a subconscious mental process, which is based on the previous history of the individual"; Jagdish Parikh speaks of "accessing the internal pool of expertise and experience accumulated over years, and obtaining a response, or an impulse to do something, or an alternative chosen among several, all without being aware of how it is obtained"; Vaughan seems to go further:"Intuition allows us to draw on the enormous supply of knowledge of which we are not aware, including not only everything that one has experienced or learned intentionally or subliminally, but also the infinite reserve of universal knowledge, in which limits are exceeded of the individual ”. Note that, although not all experts initially see it that way, Frances Vaughan viewed intuition as a collective phenomenon: perhaps it is worth reflecting on.Frances Vaughan viewed intuition as a collective phenomenon: perhaps it is worth reflecting on.Frances Vaughan viewed intuition as a collective phenomenon: perhaps it is worth reflecting on.
But there are many experts who have dealt with the subject: Herbert Simon maintains that the essence of intuition lies in an organization of tacit knowledge that allows its rapid identification and transformation into explicit knowledge; for Sorokin there are three forms of truth: the sensory, the rational and the intuitive; Robert K. Cooper points out that emotional honesty significantly favors intuition and that this, among other effects, nurtures empathy; Janice Redford and Robert McPherson also strongly link intuition and empathy, and recall that intuitive people can observe a conflict from the perspective of each party; Peter Senge says that "individuals endowed with high personal mastery (one of their well-known" disciplines ") do not consider choosing between reason and intuition,nor would it occur to them to walk with one leg or look with one eye ”; and, in case there were any doubts, Einstein said that "intuition is the only thing that really counts." It will be understood that all these thinkers (and others not mentioned) said more and even more interesting things about intuition, and we would refer to them the reader who wishes to advance on the subject.
Well, a couple more allusions: Goleman says that “instant intuitive sensitivity could be the vestige of a primitive and essential alarm system, whose function was to warn us of danger…”; and the aforementioned Jagdish Parikh (perhaps one of the experts who has studied intuition the most among managers) maintains, among many other things, that intuition is multidimensional (a skill, a gift, a way of being…), multicontextual (an instantaneous signal, a sensation during a certain period, a continuous process…) and multilevel (conscious, subconscious, unconscious…). Among the managers who make the most use of intuition, Parikh points out to the Japanese, Americans and British.
So far, then, some brief references, perhaps enough, to accept that, well understood, intuition is more important than it seems, and to place it encompassing or integrating the primitive and evolved nervous systems, thoughts and feelings, the skill and gift, the individual and the collective, the conscious and the unconscious, our old and recent past with the near and remote future, fickleness and science; and also to reproduce in a list, already located in the professional setting, some notes that, by way of synthesis, we take in our documentation phase:
1. Intuition generates instantaneous, sudden signals, like sudden messages from within; but they must be interpreted properly.
2. Intuition uses different levels or vehicles to manifest itself: the physical, the mental, the emotional and the spiritual. It should not be ruled out that you use more than one.
3. Intuition, according to experts, allows us to access a large reserve of knowledge of which we are not aware, or are only partially aware.
4. Intuition becomes the "default" way of thinking, that is, the one that works when we do not apply rational thinking.
5. Intuition seems impossible to define gestaltistically or holistically; rather than limiting definitions, we find statements about it.
6. Intuition, as an object of study by experts, is observed from different angles and elicits inconsistent conclusions; maybe that makes her more attractive.
7. Intuition could serve as its own explanation, with the risk of reaching conclusions mixed with our beliefs and rejected by the establishment.
8. Intuition typically manifests itself through visceral words, images, feelings, or sensations, which we don't always know how to interpret.
9. Intuition, recognized as a multiform inner voice, can be generated outside of oneself through epiphanies.
10. Intuition often comes unannounced, but it can also be called in and responded right away, or take some time.
11. Intuition, which can be developed, seems to be proportional to emotional honesty and motivation to know, to discover and to solve.
12. Intuition, in its perhaps more everyday manifestation, allows us to read between the lines and know the feelings of others, regardless of their words.
13. Intuition, according to some researchers, contains the truth and is infallible; But, in case other elements of the process fail, it is worth aligning with the most cautious.
14. Intuition is a genuine faculty, and we should not confuse it with fears aroused by fear, with wishes, or with dangerous assumptions of infallibility.
15. Nor should intuition be confused with instinct, nor with foresight, creativity or inspiration, even if it contributes to them.
16. Intuition has indeterminate boundaries; Some think, for example, that appetite, in addition to being a form of stress, is an intuition.
17. Intuition could be related to a part of intelligence not resident in the brain, but in the viscera.
18. Intuition, that is, intuitive revelation, can occur at any time; we must be vigilant and prepared to recognize it.
19. Intuition is much more likely in moments of calm; it seems to require some inner peace, with the mind focused on "the here and now."
20. Intuition, for managers, seems to be especially present in decision-making, but it also appears at other times.
21. Intuition is motivating; intuitive signals move us to action, but - let's remember - we have to put reason in the middle.
22. Intuition is behind many achievements in creativity and innovation, and has been the key to many business successes.
23. Creative intuition seems to demand, so to speak, that we be in resonance with the challenge or problem to be solved, that is, that we have understood it well.
24. Intuition can be highly developed; In these cases, we do not access it only by chance, but we can favor access.
25. Intuition allows us to perceive (anticipate) things to come (although presumably visionary people are not always so).
Perhaps the latter is more difficult for some reader to accept, but we are going to try to assume that the subconscious (widely understood) knows no limits of time or space, and that it provides material for a precognitive science, not to mention clairvoyance. or clairvoyance. In fact, we often speak of "hunches" (feelings prior to something that will happen), and in the management world intuition is sometimes understood reduced to vision of the future (vision of what will happen) as if they were synonyms. The vision of the future or the business and, more generally, intuition, are very important qualities for managers, but - it has already been suggested - we must beware of false intuitive or false visionaries, as recommended, among others, by J. Fernández Aguado in one of his books.
A case of intuition in business
It seems to us, as an example, that intuition played a decisive role in the appearance, almost 25 years ago, of the Sony Walkman. You may recall that after the company marketed a small monaural recorder for journalists (the “Pressman”), the engineers tried to make it stereophonic; By incorporating the new circuitry, there was no longer room for the recording function, so the result was a portable audio tape player, requiring external headphones. Apparently, the engineers considered the project a failure, and used the prototype in the laboratory to listen to music. Masaru Ibuka, already as honorary president, accidentally overheard it and thought it could be sold; his intimate conviction led him to discuss it with Akio Morita, who then ran the company, and the latter, equally confident,He decided to manufacture it despite the unfavorable reports of his collaborators. Time proved these legendary Japanese entrepreneurs right, surely beyond their expectations.
It is not necessary to insist on the success of the Walkman, nor do we want to imply that intuition is the only way to innovation; in fact, some successful innovations are due, for example, to mere serendipity (named -serendipity- in 1754, by Horace Walpole).
X-rays, the microwave oven, Velcro are serendipitous… Serendipity comes to be the ability (which some people seem to possess to a greater extent than others) to make important discoveries by chance; something must have to do with curiosity and creativity. But we close this brief digression and return to the topic at hand, to remember that some well-known cases of intuition are related to dreams; for example, the case of Elias Howe's sewing machine, or that of the architecture of the benzene molecule, solved by Friedrich August Kekulé von Stradonitz, who, curiously, studied Architecture and Chemistry, if we are not misinformed. Both dreams provided these men with the answer they were looking for, so we insist on the untapped power of the subconscious,at which level we move with great freedom, far from the self-censorship of conscience.
Intuition in the age of knowledge
Ultimately, intuition is shown to us as a source of knowledge -or, in other words, as a source of valuable answers-, of whose origin we are not aware and whose meaning could escape us (as Robert K. Cooper says, intuition does not usually formulate complete sentences). We have just turned to an example from the 20th century (the Walkman) and two from the 19th century (the sewing machine and the benzene molecule), but already at the dawn of the 21st it is said that we are in the age of information and knowledge, and we must not forget a source, a resource, as important as intuition. In fact, more than in the age of knowledge, some entrepreneurs and managers seem to be already in the age of intuition: "the only thing that really counts", as the famous physicist from Ulm told us. But let's be careful with intuitionto be administered with a cool head.
Someone may think that large businessmen are already more dedicated to the sale and purchase of companies and financial engineering than to the smooth running of each organization, as if taking for granted that benefits can only come outside of ethics and border of the law; Even if this were the case - we prefer to think, although sometimes it is difficult for us to do so, that integrity and ethics are rising values - intuition would also be necessary when making strategic decisions. But effectively, success involves taking better advantage of individual and collective knowledge, wherever it comes from, and here three types of knowledge must be clearly distinguished:
- Explicit knowledge (easy, in general, to acquire and share); Tacit or implicit knowledge (more expensive to acquire and difficult to share), and “Unknown” knowledge, of which we are not aware (and which is reached through intuition).
We believe that these three types of knowledge are highly valuable, and we know that the most advanced experts in the area of knowledge management are sensitive to the role of intuition.
Recognize the intuitive signals
Neuroscience admits that, in order for the intuitive response to a problem to emerge, we must first have sufficiently identified and internalized the situation as a consequence of the concern it transmits to us; later, and in a way that is not conscious to us, we must have incubated the solution. Then, at any moment, the intuitive signal emerges "the same thing - as Csikszentmihalyi says - that a cork kept under water comes out and jumps in the air when it is released"; we also see it as a bubble that, when it reaches the surface, is ephemeral: we must be attentive to capture and capture it. In any case, once intuition has suddenly sprung up and has been recognized and registered as such in consciousness, it is the turn of analytic reason: the necessary complement.
Therefore, let us recognize that kind of sixth sense that intuition is, and do not confuse it with a mere opinion, with a desire, with a commitment to the future, with a reflection or with inspiration. Let us be attentive to these sudden intuitive signals (words, phrases, images, sensations, emotions) and try to register them in consciousness before they succumb to your censorship or dissipate; Let's record them, even if we can, on paper. If we don't, the signal can be diluted by diffuse, or because of rational rigidities. Sometimes you wake up at night and suddenly have some ideas related to the problems you had in your head when you went to bed; If we did not think firmly about these revelations that emerged, just for a few moments and without the intention of evaluating them, we could have forgotten them when we got up.
We want to add a comment. We have quoted Professor Cooper and we want to say that he, in his well-known work Executive EQ, speaks of "intuitive flow" relating it to the state of flow studied by the equally mentioned Professor Csikszentmihalyi (whose books Flow and Creativity have also seemed highly interesting). The truth is that we had not related the state of flow (a kind of intimate feedback euphoria, derived from high performance) with intuition (neither does Csikszentmihalyi seem to do so), but we admit a certain overlap and invite the reader to consult these three books, if not I would have already.
Develop your intuition
We have tried to define intuition in search of the reader's acquiescence; But we recognize that we ourselves have taken more than 40 years to understand and value this beautiful resource of the human being. Now, in the following paragraphs, documented in the teachings of Cooper, Goleman and other experts in emotional intelligence and management, we will see some practices that are recommended for the development of this faculty. To begin with, remember something that Professor Cooper also conveys to us: intuition is cultivated with emotional honesty as a nutrient. (We have understood well the emotional honesty: it is not about persecuting the corrupt, but, basically, about being consistent with ourselves and preferring the truth to tranquility). Here are the recommendations that we submit for your consideration, for the development of intuition:
- Get to know yourself. It is about the famous delphic mandate: Gnothi seauton. If you prefer, Nosce te ipsum or Know yourself. This is good for everything and fits with the necessary dose of emotional honesty. To achieve self-knowledge, open yourself to feedback from good sources, practice reflection and pay attention to your inner voice: don't let this resource stunt.
We are not referring to the voice of your ego; It is, if it is worth saying so, the voice of your soul, the voice of your conscience (now we speak of moral conscience), your internal forum, your karma.
There are people who hardly hear the voice of others, but it is equally serious not listening to oneself. Try to uncover those outstanding blind spots and become aware of your strengths and weaknesses. Try to be, really, what you would like to be and try to appear (this was already said by Socrates). Distinguish your thoughts well from your feelings and clearly identify your emotions; do not renounce them but recognize them (meta-mood): it is the first step to channel them properly and take advantage of them. Also, you already know that intuition is sometimes expressed through emotions.
- Improve your EQ (emotional quotient): we would say that it is a moral imperative. If you develop your self-awareness effort well, you may find areas for improvement: self-control, empathy, leadership, purpose, resistance to adversity, flexibility… The better your emotional brain functions, the more help you will receive from intuition. In your improvement process, keep looking for good feedback: don't be content with being told only what you like to hear. Feedback is (says Rick Tate) the breakfast of champions. Learn to express and manage your feelings as you express and manage your thoughts. Emotional intelligence makes us more complete human beings (says Maurice J. Elias) and even happier (says Goleman). Don't hesitate, intuition works better in people with a high EC; in fact,Intuition becomes an exalted dimension of emotional intelligence (says Cooper). To get the best out of yourself, and for the benefit of your family, improve your CE (I tell you, with forgiveness).Ask clear questions to your intuition. Intuition is waiting for you to call it and ask well-defined questions. The more you use it, the better it will work. Whoever writes this has a rule of leaving work to the subconscious every night and expecting results in the morning. Then, one can find answers, like gifts brought by the tooth fairy: valuable ideas for problems that demand creative solutions, vision spaces that broaden their horizon, impulses or determinations to do something (or, definitely, not to do it)… in what lies and underlying each situation that worries you, and then ask yourself questions that intuition can answer with its diverse and peculiar language. Evaluate intuitive signals, that is, the solutions that are offered to you. Whether they are creative ideas, impulses for action, solutions to dilemmas or lights for twilight, do not reject or admit them instantly: remember the turn of analytical reason. We already know well that reason is not contrary, but complementary, to intuition. It is necessary to ensure as much as possible the success in each decision; Through success, we will gain confidence in intuitive processes, we will go to them more frequently and we will better decipher their signals. Let's not lower our guard in evaluation, even if we believe that our intuitions are always good; we never think we are especially blessed with the gift of intuition; Let's not forget about prudence, humility and learning. We have also read (Cooper):"You cannot be intuitive if you insist on being right."
conclusion
We were left thinking that those who already knew the importance of intuition did not need these paragraphs; and that those who had not paid enough attention to it will not have fully in tune with our words. But we trust that the former will have directed their acquiescence to us, and the latter will begin to be interested. We see intuition as a personal resource that, although it may seem something esoteric, is available to everyone and is essential for those who must make frequent decisions. Inexcusable among managers. It must be time to start exoterizing the esoteric.
We are not very sure - but there are experts who do believe it - that intuition works better among women than among men, although, like some other things, it can manifest itself in a peculiar way in each sex and, of course, in each person. Of course, we recommend exploiting the potential of the subconscious, which is not negligible, and we toast a fruitful pairing between reason and intuition. But if someone prefers trios, let's talk about reason, heart and intuition (this seems like a winning trio, but for poker one would add the purpose, and for the poker the courage). In effect, the reductionist reasoning fell short.
