Trusting Our Gut

We've heard it a thousand times. You're in a situation, you aren't sure what to do, and some self-proclaimed wise person tells you to trust your gut. But is it really that simple? 

Human intuition is powerful and can potentially be dangerous. I think I'm of sound mind and my ideas are right and so do you. But we may think completely different. So who's right? Both of us? Neither of us? That's the tough question. 

Intuition and Facts 

The Harvard Business Review published an article in 2003 entitled Don't Trust Your Gut. 

In the piece, the author Eric Bonabeau wrote; "One decision-making tool - human intuition - seems to offer a reliable alternative to painstaking fact gathering and analysis. Encouraged by scientific research on intuition, top managers feel increasingly confident that, when faced with complicated choices, they can just trust their gut." 

Science Based Wisdom 

Bonabeau goes on to state; "Anyone who thinks that intuition is a substitute for reason is indulging in a risky delusion." So when we trust our gut, experience, or intuition, are we doing it void of scientific realities or known facts? Or are we looking at those facts and making a judgement call through our lens and experience? Perhaps a mix of both. 

When you think of something you tried for the first time in your career. Perhaps a new gig or new department; maybe it was a new concept or project. Did you go blindly into the abyss ignoring all facts in front of your or did you measure what you could then made a judgement call on the direction? 

Dreamers and Billionaires 

We look at people like Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey, and Jeff Bezos and call them visionaries. But I'm of the mind to suggest they didn't create an electric car company, rocket corporation, media empire, and online shopping conglomerate in a vacuum without facts and realities. I agree with Bonabeau that we can't just fly off the handle in the face of contradictory facts and trust our gut. But our intuition gets at least a vote. 

If you want to test your gut, asking others for their opinions may just add their gut into the mix and then you may be even further from a successful solution. But as President Regan famously stated, trust but verify. We should keep ourselves in check by checking with the facts. Eventually we'll have to make a decision and it may not always be successful. But one thing is for sure.

Indecision can create doubt even in our gut. __________________________________________________________________

Is Patience a Virtue?

It may be true that waiting is admirable but how often does it fit into our business goals and plans? We want the new idea started - NOW! We want the results - NOW! We want the changes we suggested implemented - NOW! But we know deep down that patience still rules the day.

I once had a boss who proclaimed that everything he did was "ready shoot aim". So he thought of an idea, fired it against the wall, cleaned up the mess, and examined what was left. In my opinion, the "ready aim shoot" approach is well-tested and the better strategy. We often aim too long and don't execute anything. Paralysis by analysis as many have called it. Maybe my old boss was right; stop overthinking and take the shot.

C'mon I Don't Have All Minute!

I think I was about 12 when I walked into the kitchen and my dad was standing in front of the microwave waiting for his warmed up coffee. He looked agitated. I thought, wow he can't wait 37 seconds for hot coffee? That image has stuck with me all the years since.

We do it all the time. We think we are being patient when inside our impatience is running a muck. We're looking at the clock, calendar, phone, or website, and wondering why the answer, result, or solution isn't there instantaneously.

Calm Down

Another cliché - never in the history of humankind has anyone calmed down by being told to calm down. It incenses us when we're uptight and someone tells us to chill. It's not that the guidance isn't based in reality or caring, but our emergency needs to be the world's priority - NOW!

I'm working on a project right now that has taken far longer than I originally anticipated. It's not the project's fault or those involved; it's my expectations that are faulty. I know this takes time and I'm battling excitement and perhaps a dash of panic to get it done. We don't want to calm down but if we do, it may make the inevitable waiting more bearable. And how often have you thought about a better idea while you are impatiently stewing over the current results?

The solution may lie in our patience after all. __________________________________________________________________

Now

Karen Lamb said a year from now you will wish you had started today while Jim Rohn said if you really want to do something, you'll find a way, if you don't, you'll find an excuse. We all have ideas we don’t act on. We may be waiting for the best time, more money, or permission. We may be out of excuses and left with one option.

The best time is probably right now.
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When is Right?

I was sifting through old notes and saw two quotes that were well timed. Karen Lamb said a year from now you will wish you had started today while Jim Rohn said if you really want to do something, you'll find a way, if you don't, you'll find an excuse.

We all have ideas we don’t act on. We may be waiting for the best time, more money, or permission. We may be out of excuses and left with one option.

The best time is right now.
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Let's Have Some Toast

I’m preparing for a big meeting this week and thought I’d step back and refresh a bit. I wanted to ensure I completely opened my mind for the discussion. The company has a critical and exciting project to complete. They are meeting with me because of my experience and abilities and I want to be a part of it.

I love building stuff with great people. It's a rush to see teamwork kick ass on a new project. It’s fun to bring everyone’s ideas into the discussion, but this was about preparing the inner me for this meeting.

After some searching, I found Tom Wujec and his explanation of how we explain the complex concept of making toast. I'll leave the toasters and sticky notes at home for this meeting, but this is a great reminder about the power of collaboration.


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Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit

The Best Place to Start

I was sifting through old notes and saw two quotes that were well timed. Karen Lamb said a year from now you will wish you had started today while Jim Rohn said if you really want to do something, you'll find a way, if you don't, you'll find an excuse.

We all have ideas we don’t act on. We may be waiting for the best time, more money, or permission. We may be out of excuses and left with one option.

The best time is right now.
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Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit

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Be An Action Hero

We all go through it; it’s the ebb and flow of life and business. We have projects, to-do lists, stuff we’re working on, stuff we’re completing, and stuff we want to get to but never find the time.

This week is a culmination of months of work and it made me realize how much more simple it is to make a decision, than to not make a decision.

One of my partners called me last Thursday with an idea. I loved it, I acted on it, made some calls, and we mapped out more detail yesterday. The meeting with the client is this week.

Obviously it doesn’t always work out this smoothly – as you know – but it feels good to have the discipline to know when you have a good idea. And most importantly you know when to take immediate action.

Procrastination is simply what we use to avoid making a decision. Money, time, or resources can be reasons but we must insure we aren’t getting the way. Put it off until tomorrow, next week, next quarter, take it off the list. If it was that important, it would be a priority.

If I told you that there was $1 Million in cash signed over to you, in a safety deposit box in Boston, how fast would you get there? We delay decisions because we don’t want to make them or we haven’t instilled the importance of them to the others we may be working with or need to act on those decisions.

Doesn’t it drive you absolutely crazy when you leave a meeting where nothing is resolved? Millions of those meetings occur every single day. We often blame some omnipresent person for the lack of progress, but we all need to take responsibility. This is one of the reasons many of my friends and colleagues are running their own companies now and not working for someone else. They grew tired of inefficiencies while great ideas were being lost.

Ask this question after each meeting or connection: Who does what by when? Which is immediately followed up and followed through.

There is that project, that thing that you are staring at it every day. It’s bugging you. You know it’s a good idea but you keep putting it off. And the best part is when you use the integration model and include all parties, action doesn’t need to rest solely on your shoulders.

Pick up the phone, book the meeting, make a decision. Today.

...oh, that reminds me!

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