NICK WRIGHT
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Intuition

29/3/2018

195 Comments

 

'There is a voice that doesn’t use words. Listen.’ (Jalal ad-Din Rumi)

I spoke with a friend and colleague recently. It was about a bizarre incident in the news where a group of leaders acted over a serious issue in a way that was clearly ineffective and self-defeating. Somewhat bemused by this, I found myself musing out loud, ‘What were they thinking?’ My friend responded wisely, ‘They weren’t thinking. They were driven by an overwhelming feeling.’ How easy it is to assume rationality in decision-making where, at times, emotion may play a far greater part.

It reminded me of many years ago when I became a passionate and pained activist for human rights in Central America. It was during a period when governments and allied death squads committed acts of unspeakable horror against the poor. Alongside fellow activists, I burned myself out for the people and for the cause. On reflection, however, I’m not sure what practical difference my efforts made. A co-activist commented in retrospect, ‘We were driven more by instinct than strategy.’

Such accounts could lead us to propose that rationality is far superior to emotion or instinct when it comes to decision-making and effectiveness. We could conclude that to think-things-through is the best course of action, prior to action. ‘You didn’t really think this through, did you?’ is a culturally-coded message that signals to a person, ‘You idiot!’, or, in more gentle diplomatic language, ‘If you had thought about this more carefully beforehand, you would have achieved a better outcome.’

On this note, Prof Eugene Sadler-Smith sheds some intriguing light. He discovered that some of the best leadership decisions are informed by intuition, not by rational process, and that leaders often post-rationalise their decisions if rationality is valued personally or culturally as more acceptable, reliable or sound than emotion or intuition. This revelation calls for a critical-creative balance of intuition and rationality, with each inspiring, informing and testing the other.

What do you think? What’s your intuition telling you?

195 Comments
David Head
29/3/2018 12:27:23 pm

Agreed Nick, 'critical-creative balance of intuition and rationality' works best. Think deeply about the issues from a place of calmness, trust your instincts, and let your mind find the right answer, which it invariably does. Some leaders confuse intuition with shooting from the hip, which is often driven by ego and emotion. No names mentioned :-)

Reply
Nick Wright
29/3/2018 12:30:38 pm

Thanks David. I think that raises interesting questions - how to distinguish between intuition, ego and emotion. We often experience intuition physically and emotionally - a language that lacks language. How do we - even if it were possible and desirable - separate ourselves what what we appear to be discerning in the moment?

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David Head
29/3/2018 01:14:53 pm

Good question. For me it comes down to calmness and clarity. Only when I have reached this place will I make my tough decisions. When I feel a compulsion to act in the moment or respond immediately to a pressing issue, it feels more like an ego driven response. Intuition equals instinct plus experience.

Lakshmidevi Vasudevan
30/3/2018 02:21:44 pm

Very true! Have experienced the same :-)

Kaur Lass
30/3/2018 11:09:09 pm

Your awareness is always calm and clear. If you know how to be aware, you can always access insight at will. Intuition is a different quality. Experience may support it or prevent it. The only question is: are you able to be aware of your awareness. If you are you come to know the clear difference between insight, intuition and creativity. Those 3 qualities have the same source, however that is different from thinking. The source is closer to you than your thinking! Inner silence is always demanded for insight, intuition and creativity. David you do have that part right! :-)

Adrian Spurrell
29/3/2018 12:31:16 pm

You also have to know when your instincts are wrong :)!

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Nick Wright
29/3/2018 12:31:43 pm

Hi Adrian. I agree. But how do you know..?

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Kaur Lass
30/3/2018 11:10:15 pm

If you use your awareness instincts are always wrong. If you run on subconscious autopilot mode your instincts may save your life. Instincts (trained reactions) and intuition (knowing without words) have nothing in common in real life practice. Until you cannot understand that in practice you do not have access to intuition and insight. It truly is as simple as that. :-)

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Denise Valk Faisst
29/3/2018 12:32:43 pm

Thanks for sharing Nick.
My intuition tells me that listening and acting on my emotions without thinking it through can made me make decisions that I could regret later on. Separating emotions from whatever happens at that moment is not an easy task some times but a well needed step before anything else.

Change your behavior, change your life!

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Nick Wright
29/3/2018 01:13:54 pm

Thanks Denise. I'm curious - have you also had situations in which you have thought things through, not acted on your emotions, and regretted it later on? I wonder if separating emotions is, perhaps, different to noticing our emotions. Our emotional experience is often a source of intuitive insight - although not always so. I believe this is where drawing on intuition and rationality together (both-and rather than either-or) is valuable. I also find it useful to sense-check my thinking and intuitions through prayer and through conversation with others I trust.

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Denise Valk Faisst
29/3/2018 01:31:29 pm

Yes I did because, I was over thinking the situation. To much of anything is not good . Moderation is the key. Your mind can play the same tricks on you as your emotions. Going with your intuition or gut is the best way to go. But like every human we don't always act on the things we instinctively know is the right thing to do. Have a great day!

Kaur Lass
30/3/2018 01:41:08 pm

Intuition is a intrapersonal skill that can be learned. It is a skill that is based on awareness, not on thinking or emotions.

The problem is people think too much and also let their emotions misguide them. That is quite unproductive, but dominant in todays world. Intuition appears if you let go of your emotions and stop thinking. However people cannot do that as they run on subconscious autopilot mode.

We have a e-training about insight, intuition an creativity: https://www.wellnessorbit.com/trainings/training-paractice-3-getting-things-done/training-practices/id/10

Instinct is not at all related to intuition. It is totally different quality. There is quite a lot of confusion in this article. No wonder - they do not teach intrapersonal skills in any schools.

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Nick Wright
30/3/2018 01:48:32 pm

Hi Kaur. Yes, Sadler-Smith draws clear distinctions between insight, instinct and intuition. I think we can, similarly, draw clear distinctions between, say, cognition, emotion and visceral experience. Whilst such distinctions are useful in conversation, they nevertheless represent a particular way of construing human experience. If we consider what and how we experience what we describe as 'intuition' phenomenologically, sometimes the distinctions are less clear. Interestingly, some fields of culture and philosophy regard intuition as a transpersonal or interpersonal rather than purely intrapersonal phenomenon. I think it can be both-and rather than either-or.

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Kaur Lass
30/3/2018 07:14:01 pm

Hi Nick. Intuition is is a very practical and learnable intrapersonal skill. It is not transpersonal in practice. Only you can have insight. Yes, you can create a situations where others may have insight, however if they will get one or not is up to their own ability to use their awareness.

Insight is knowing something without words. It is instant and certain knowledge. People often fail to catch it. They also fail to put it into words as thinking is totally different from insight.

The source of insight is always intellect/consciousness. Something much closer to you than your thinking. Whilst consciousness is all around the experience of it is always personal - without your existence you would not know it. Same with insight.

Why to think about it? Insight is not thinking! Thinking about it is always wrong. Description of it can only be correct if you describe it without thinking. And here we reach the point where personal empirical personal experience matters. Either you have it and you are precise and to the point or you do not. As soon as you think about it you have lost track. As insight is beyond thinking!

Constant thinking always prevents insight. Also emotions always prevent insight. It truly is as simple as that.

Lakshmidevi Vasudevan
30/3/2018 01:50:15 pm

I believe in the power of intuition, gut and presence. Most of the times people find hard to accept the gut and so I am trying to stop sharing it with them if it is related to them. Sometimes even in interviews, my gut says not to recruit a candidate and the line manager disagrees. After few months they come back and say "you are right".

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Nick Wright
30/3/2018 01:53:34 pm

Hi Lakshmidevi. I have had similar experiences in recruitment where my gut reaction has proved right...and other situations in which my gut reaction has proved wrong. I think this is where intuition can be very helpful as a source of 'knowing' and, at the same time, why it can also be useful to reflect on, be curious about, inquire into our intuition rather than always to trust it per se.

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Lakshmidevi Vasudevan
31/3/2018 04:28:40 pm

Thanks Nick for writing. I have been really listening to my gut and believing in intuition for last two years. For me more than being right, my gut warns me before if situations will not be favorable to me. But I don't stop there. I go out and test it. So most of the times it has proved me right than wrong.
Sometime back we also had a conversation on logo interpretation if you remember. I have tested that and people say it is perfect to 95%. And I believe everyone can do that by just being "present".

Stephen Moore
30/3/2018 01:54:30 pm

Nick I would like to highlight the work and research undertaken by Grant Soosalu and Marvin Oka around mBraining, looking at a very wide range of research from multiple fields and studying many ancient wisdom practices. Modern neuroscience is now evidencing that we have more than one brain or intelligence within our bodies, something many ancient esoteric practices have believed for 2,000+ years. Current evidence supports three intelligences all with different prime functions and language (means of communication), Head, Heart and Gut. I also sense that as neuroscience continues to develops and we see more collaborative interconnected research rather than the tradition 'silo' based approach, more intelligence will be discovered, perhaps even linking closer to the concept of the Chakra's, who knows.

From Grant and Marvin's studies of the literature and their own action research and behavioural modelling, the Head brain's prime function is around, thinking, cognitive perception, making meaning, logic if you will, it's the centre for creativity. With some 80 billion plus neurons it is incredibly powerful and fast! The Heart has less neurons in the region of 120 Thousand neurons) but nevertheless plays a pivotal role, its prime functions are around 'values' (What is the most important to us), 'emoting' and how we 'relate' to others etc. and is the centre for compassion (for see and others) and then the Gut brain, with some 500 million neurons and prime functions of self preservation, mobilisation and identity, the centre of Courage (Also check out work by Prof Gershon 'The Gut the second Brain').

What Grant and Marvin have discovered that 'wisdom' is gained by aligning all three in a balanced way, it's not about being ruled by the head or the heart or the gut but by being able to align them and to be aware of what they are seeking to communicate! oh and the heart leads...

I would be very happy to chat with you more about this.

Reply
Nick Wright
30/3/2018 02:01:03 pm

Hi Stephen and thank you for sharing such fascinating insights from research. You reminded me of some research I heard of (although I cannot now remember the source!) that challenged the conventional view that human activity originates in the brain. It proposed that some forms of activity (e.g. habitual behaviours), like some forms of 'knowing', are held in the body and not related directly to activity in the brain. It felt and sounded very counterintuitive to me at the time but it does make me wonder..!

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Kaur Lass
30/3/2018 11:08:07 pm

In the same book by Routledge you have another very good article about awareness: "Awareness as the New Paradigm for Personal Sustainability: A Practitioner’s Perspective on the Sustainability Transition" by Ingvar Villido

Ingvar is well known master teacher of awareness. He has truly practical and very systematic approach to teaching how to apply awareness, have access to insight, intuition and inspiration. You can read more about him here: http://ingvarvillido.com/en. He has a very good book about the topic, however it is in Estonian. The translation into English will take some time. But with few years it will be available globally. People are working on it. :-)

Kaur Lass
30/3/2018 07:12:48 pm

The mess in internal domain is rather big. There is a very recent scientific paper I recommend: "Developing Intra-personal Skills as a Proactive Way to Personal Sustainability: the Preventive Side of the Mental Health Equation" by Helena Lass available from this week at Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/Personal-Sustainability-Exploring-the-Far-Side-of-Sustainable-Development/Parodi-Tamm/p/book/9781138065086

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Sylvia Lee
30/3/2018 02:02:53 pm

Think of your intuition as your inner tutor.

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Nick Wright
30/3/2018 02:11:54 pm

Hi Sylvia. 'Think of your intuition' has a certain paradoxical quality about it. :)

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Sylvia Lee
30/3/2018 02:13:26 pm

Nick, examine the logic underneath. It’s always there. I used to dislike any guy named Martin until, I’m 30s, I questioned the logic and got back to the bratty little Martin in first form who was my desk mate and treated me really badly. bullied, really. Once I got to that it was clear - my intuition was right - “Martin” meant danger. But the logic was wrong - not all Martins are bad. Change the logic, and find lots of Martins who are wonderful. And no doubt THAT Martin turned into a wonderful guy as well.

Nick Wright
30/3/2018 02:19:43 pm

Hi Sylvia. Yes, to reflect on the source of our intuition can be useful and important. It can help unearth, similarly, potential sources of idealisation, transference, projection, prejudice etc. Having said that, Sadler-Smith's research suggests that intuition can develop over long periods of time - subconsciously, perhaps physically - and through complex range of experiences. This means it's not always possible to identify a source or underlying 'logic'...or if there is one.

KH Yeo
30/3/2018 02:04:40 pm

“To think-things-through is the best course of action, prior to action”
Indeed, it would be ideal to do so prior to any action (behavior) and word (verbal), but often or not, a major part of our action and word taking place automatically, direct from our subconscious mind! We ended up kicking ourselves afterward. Inner dialogue (conversation) within us is getting lack due to the rapid path of our life style. World would be better around us, if more of us practicing internal conversations more frequently. Stay mindful of our soul (which is our will, thoughts and emotions) is important.

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Nick Wright
30/3/2018 02:08:57 pm

Hi KH. It sounds like you are describing the difference between, say, to react and to respond? It touches too on the spirit of reflective practice. You may find these short related pieces interesting?

http://www.nick-wright.com/blog/reflective-practice
http://www.nick-wright.com/pause-reflect-act.html

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Rob Clarke
30/3/2018 02:22:49 pm

The voice of reason does not always speak but when you hear it, you will know it, to be different from the ever-changing discursive mind which leads the world daily.

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Nick Wright
30/3/2018 02:23:39 pm

Hi Rob. What if the voice of reason calls in a different direction to the voice of intuition?

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Rob Clarke
13/4/2018 09:54:51 am

Hi Nick, that would never be the case. The voice of reason is short, sharp and direct. Very few words are spoken – the highest reason/wisdom ever articulated. It has the power to shut the discursive mind down. Then there's peace – a peace different from any other experience. Peace may not last long but you will never forget that voice because it's your purest self-expressed as one. The question is – how do you learn to rest in that peace? The world that presents itself today has very little notion of peace and talk of peace is plenty when strife persists. And even when the din stops, the discursive mind believes silence is peace until the din starts all over again. The peace of yourself, is freedom from all of that.

Tim Brownson
30/3/2018 02:24:41 pm

I prefer 'rapid cognition' to intuition. They're pretty much the same thing but the former is more based in science and the brain's ability to think at a level below consciousness and offer solutions kinesthetically rather than in pure language.

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Nick Wright
30/3/2018 02:30:07 pm

Hi Tim. That's an interesting reframing of intuition. I'm not convinced that intuition is a cognitive experience or process...but then again, as someone with a special interest in social constructionism, I am quite sceptical about 'based in science' too!

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Kati Kelo
30/3/2018 02:31:14 pm

I guess it depends on how one defines intuition. I see it as a different form of receiving awareness of that what is right now, like when we are babies we are capable of absorbing information through our whole being. Whereas emotional reasoning is about being in reaction to past stories and events, making choices based on what hurts us the least.

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Nick Wright
30/3/2018 02:32:58 pm

Hi Kati. Do you have any examples you could share of how you have used or enabled use of intuition in your coaching practice, perhaps in contrast to emotional reasoning?

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Terry Wildemann
30/3/2018 02:34:07 pm

I use intuition constantly in my work and daily living. Studies show the heart plays a huge role in intuition and how we use it. In the movie, The Power of The Heart, HeartMath researchers wired up a volunteer to measure the (HRT) heart rate variability of the volunteer's heart when looking at images on a computer screen. A black screen was followed by either a positive or negative image over and over. Based on the HRT, the researchers were surprised to see that when the volunteer viewed the blank screen the heart was able to detect the upcoming image as positive or negative 5-6 seconds before the volunteer viewed it. The heart then sends signals to the brain which distributes the information to the body as an image, hearing words, a knowing or a sensation. Based on this study it may be concluded that intuition precedes emotion and not to be dismissed.
https://www.heartmath.org/research/research-library/#intuition-research

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Nick Wright
30/3/2018 02:38:02 pm

Hi Terry. I'm not sure I understand the HRT experiment...and that may be because of my limited knowledge in that field! I'm curious: do you have any examples you could share of how you use intuition on your work and, perhaps, what difference it has made in contrast to, say, rational decision-making?

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Jackie Appleby
30/3/2018 02:39:07 pm

I remember seeing Oprah here in Calgary a few years ago and it stuck with me that she said "Always trust your gut" or intuition. I am a pretty analytical person so a lot of my decisions are made based on weighing the facts and for the most part it serves me well, but just occasionally there are those situations that make your hairs stand on end or the sick feeling in your stomach, you just can't put your finger on why you are being led in a certain direction, you just are! Those are the gut making decisions!

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Nick Wright
30/3/2018 02:42:35 pm

Hi Jackie. I think, 'those situations that make your hairs stand on end or the sick feeling in your stomach' are great illustrations of how we often experience intuition physically rather than, say, cognitively. I don't think I would agree with Oprah's statement, 'Always trust your gut' because I believe intuition can be as misguided as, at times, rational thought. I would, however say, 'Always take your gut seriously.'

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Jack Bucalo
30/3/2018 02:43:52 pm

In most companies, not much. What matters is sound practices and data bases that provide the necessary data upon which sound decisions are made. https://bizcatalyst360.com/a-new-path-forward-to-leadership-development-success/

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Nick Wright
30/3/2018 02:44:43 pm

Hi Jack. I think that begs so many questions in the rational-intuitive debate..!!

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E.G.Sebastian - CPC, CSL
30/3/2018 07:16:03 pm

Ok... I hit the "Like" button on this discussion, as it's a serendipitous "coincidence" that you just posted this. These days I was thinking a lot about how much stress some coaches (and business coaches) put on "Listen to Your Intuition!" thingy....

So it's strange to exactly see this post.

Animals have great intuition (not good enough, for some of them, not to end up as road-kill); but us humans... do we still have good intuition? (or any?) What we call intuition, is it fear or impulse "pushing us" to do certain things (and we call it intuition)?

I didnt' read your post yet - i'm tight on time, but I'll be back and read it and read all the comments. I'm really interested on what you and others have to say on this topic.

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Nick Wright
30/3/2018 07:18:37 pm

Hi E.G. I look forward to hearing your comments! Sadler-Smith distinguishes between 'instinct' and 'intuition', where the former is something like a reflex action and the latter a form of subconscious learning from experience. Your road-kill comment made me laugh. :)

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E.G.Sebastian - CPC, CSL
31/3/2018 03:33:24 pm

I like Tim Brownson's comment. I don't know how much my "intuition" (if it even exists) would know how to react/respond to situations. But experience and knowledge should help me more... [I'll be back for more - I'm running to my martial arts belt test :) )

Nick Wright
31/3/2018 04:22:19 pm

Hi E.G. You reminded me of Bruce Lee's 'Perfect style is no style'. It that a profoundly intuitive form of action? Hope the test goes well! :)

E.G.Sebastian - CPC, CSL
31/3/2018 09:33:48 pm

Nick, test went way better than expected. I managed my energy well, and did not pass out :)

I ready your blurb above, and I'm still no wiser. Professor Saddler might way what he says - and 100 others might say the same - I'm still on the fence. i think "intuition shmintuition."

Keep in mind, though, that most of the decision in my life might have been driven by my intuition. I'm well known of NOT thinking things through, but rather just doing.... and as a result, I fail about 7 times out of 10; but those 3 out of 10 add up.

So maybe I listen to my intuition, except it's so natural to me that I dont' know.

If we were sitting and drinking beer, I'd say "Listen to your intuition, if you want to go it the hard way; instead, study success (in any area) and implement proven strategies." I believe in the tested and proven. Our passions, instinct, and "intuition, "can take us into some murky areas, struggle, and failures... of course, I could be totally wrong :) I just don't know.

Coach Cay'me Andréa
2/4/2018 12:28:41 pm

E.G., I agree with you on the ‘study success and implement proven strategy’. I believe success lies in finding the balance that Nick mentioned between proven strategies and our gut (aka intuition). I believe intuition to be representative of the Divine connection & voice inside each of us. It’s something we all have access to, but may not all choose to use it. Or in your case E.G. It may come so natural, we don’t realize we’re listening & following.

Noreen Sumpter
31/3/2018 03:31:34 pm

A lot if you listen for it.

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Nick Wright
31/3/2018 03:32:12 pm

Hi Noreen. Do you have any examples from experiences you could share here?

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Steve Hearsum
31/3/2018 04:23:40 pm

The risk is the framing of intuition vs rationality. In context, either or both may be useful. This conversation between Gary Klein and Daniel Kahneman I find a useful antidote to a view that one is ‘better’ than another https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/strategic-decisions-when-can-you-trust-your-gut

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Nick Wright
31/3/2018 04:24:25 pm

Hi Steve. That resonates with Sadler-Smith's conclusions too. Thanks for the useful link.

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Bob Larcher
31/3/2018 04:30:25 pm

As an INTP intuition has always played a huge part in my decision making.

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Nick Wright
31/3/2018 04:31:21 pm

Hi Bob. Do you have any examples from experience that you could share here to show what that could look like in practice?

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Bob Larcher
2/4/2018 01:33:54 pm

I'm not sure what it would "look like" from the outside; people often say things like, "he knows why but we need to ask questions to find out why" or "how did you come to that conclusion".

I know that I have the capacity to take in a lot of fairly diverse external "signs" and somehow link them together and come to a conclusion.

Being an INTP; my intuition (how I perceive things) is extroverted and my thinking (how I "judge things") is introverted.

I can, when needed, be also very concrete, but it is my intuitions that triggers the looking for concrete information.

Inn the world of Jung it is difficult to compare emotions and intuitions; intuition is one of the ways we “perceive” the world around us and “emotion” (or more exactly feelings) is one of the ways we “judge” the world around us.

It is not “good or bad” or “better or worse” to decide “rationally” or “emotionally”; the two “preferences” will undoubtedly lead to different decisions – both for good (but different) reasons.

What is important, is to understand where one’s tendencies lie and be aware that there are other options (and information) to take into account.

Nick Wright
2/4/2018 01:35:04 pm

Hi Bob. Thank you - and well said.

Dinesh H.S.
31/3/2018 07:02:30 pm

Nick -I love the topic that you have written about -about the role intuition in OD practice. My experience in working with Organisations Is also that – logic is overvalued …and intuition undervalued. Logical thinking and Intuition appear to be polarities. Just as with other polarities like process focus and flexible – perhaps trying to see how we could complement the two, may help in discovering a new path forward.
In OD practice, intuition could be effectively used while working with organisations, OD gurus reiterate in the power of the “use of self” and being in the “here and now” – which all support the use our intuition while working with organisations. In my OD work, I have started to pay more attention to my feelings when interacting with clients -though still have a long way to go!

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Nick Wright
31/3/2018 07:08:31 pm

Thank you, Dinesh - and thank you for such an honest personal response. Yes, I agree that 'use of self' and 'here and now' relate well to intuition. They also relate well to awareness of emotional, psychological, physical and relational states. I find that I sometimes swing between rational and intuitive attention in my work and I am learning to hold both in awareness at the same time.

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José Antonio Venegas
31/3/2018 07:11:03 pm

Hi Nick, thanks for your interesting post about the intuition and the OD. Let me give you some definitions, questions and my viewpoints about it:

Definitions:
Decision: A choice made between alternative courses of action in a situation of uncertainty. A conclusion or resolution reached after consideration.

Intuition: Unconscious thought process that produces rapid, uninferred knowledge or solution. Though it is not analytic in the sense that it does not deliberately look for cause-and-effect (causal) relationships, intuition is not mere guesswork. Instead, it draws on previously acquired experiences and information and directly apprehends a totality. Intuition can be visionary or delusionary, uncannily correct or horrendously wrong in its conclusions. The ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning.

Emotion: Emotion is any conscious experience characterized by intense mental activity and a certain degree of pleasure or displeasure. Scientific discourse has drifted to other meanings and there is no consensus on a definition. Emotion is often intertwined with mood, temperament, personality, disposition, and motivation. A natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one's circumstances, mood, or relationships with others.

Questions:
1. What is the best way to make a good decision?
2. How is uncertainty considered in the decision-making process?
3. How does it impact the emotional state of the decision maker to arrive at a good decision?

My viewpoints:
- In both stories, emotion or instinct is superior to rationality.
- In both stories, the decision was influenced more by emotion or instinct than by the objective choice of a course of action.
- IMO, the best decisions are based on making an objective choice and also on the positive emotional state of the decision maker.

What do you think?

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Nick Wright
31/3/2018 07:15:12 pm

Hi José and thank you for such a thoughtful response. I found your reflections on 'intuition' particularly interesting. I also like your link between decision and emotional state.

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José Antonio Venegas
2/4/2018 01:37:05 pm

Hi Nick, thanks for your feedback and let me share with you the Good Decision Formula:

GD = f (OCh, ES)

GD= Good Decision
OCh= Objective Choice based on reasonableness
ES= Positive Emotional State of the decision maker

In short, we can make a good decision if we don' have an objective choice and also positive mind without any doubt.

What do you think?

Patrice Levin Kell
31/3/2018 09:35:00 pm

Love the Rumi quote.

Intuition? All part of the thinking / judgement process. We use our head, heart, and gut, the latter being our intuition. At least IMHO.

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Nick Wright
31/3/2018 09:36:40 pm

Hi Patrice. I'm not sure that intuition is 'thinking'...although it certainly forms part of our judgement process.

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David Sherborn-Hoare
31/3/2018 09:38:02 pm

I think, first, it would be interesting to understand what is meant and understood by the term 'intuition'? Secondly then to consider it from the perspective of different contexts. Intuition for me as a psychotherapist is a crucial element of my work and equally crucially is informed by my own experience moved into empathy from many years of in depth therapy. We respond to love from the time of conception and we can use our experience in objective tandem with therapy to become insightful otherwise known as intuitive.

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Nick Wright
31/3/2018 09:40:26 pm

Hi David. When you say, 'Intuition for me as a psychotherapist is a crucial element of my work', do you have any examples you could share?

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Tina Luke
2/4/2018 12:12:26 pm

In my experience.. Intuition always provides me with a next step response, emotion on the other hand tends to provide me with a reaction that is never effective. I have learnt to listen to the emotion fully and let it move naturally and then my feelings and next step become clearer. Pause.. breathe... pause... respond 👍🏻

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Nick Wright
2/4/2018 12:13:32 pm

Hi Tina. I'm intrigued. Do you have an example from experience you could share here to illustrate what that involves in practice?

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David Harrell
2/4/2018 12:15:00 pm

You have to pace people to establish credibility and rapport and I find that responding in a similar yet non threatening and compassionate way can help when dealing with situations of emotions and irrationality.

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Nick Wright
2/4/2018 12:26:55 pm

Hi David. Yes, pacing can be a useful way of building rapport. Can you say a bit more about how you do that in practice if a person is expressing strong emotion or what you perceive as irrationality?

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Kim Marino
2/4/2018 01:18:12 pm

I love this question. My intuition flows through me with every client and has since 1984. Whether i am reading information from the client, interviewing clients to write a professional resume or coaching the client. I will hear or see a word from the client and get a download of information. And it is always very reliable. It's what makes me stand out over others. It's really a cool part of the process. Any intuitive would understand this. However, if you don't trust your intuition and not using it, you would not understand. However, my clients love it, because they experience it with me in each session.

Intuition comes from our spirit and has more wisdom than any of us. We all have the ability to tap into our intuition. It's no secret. Some of are born intuitive coaches, like myself. I have used my intuition my whole life. One does not mistaken intuition for something it is not. It is a knowing. As I mentioned in a previous comment only those that have learned with a knowing to trust their intuition can even comprehend what I am talking about here and have no knowledge or right to discuss other than ask questions to learn from us. You have to experience it to understand it's value.

I meant to say above those without the belief in their intuition and have not experienced it do not have the knowledge to understand those that do. However, we all are born with intuitive abilities.

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Nick Wright
2/4/2018 01:23:31 pm

Hi Kim. Thanks for such an enthusiastic response! :) I like your comment, 'You have to experience it to understand its value.' I think of intuition as something like subconscious learning through experience. It feels in the moment like a mysterious prompt, a mysterious knowing. As a follower of Jesus, I am interested in the relationship between intuition and spiritual discernment. It's as if intuition comes from within ourselves and spiritual discernment from beyond ourselves. Both are about paying attention to that which may appear to make little or no sense rationally and yet can be of the most fundamental value.

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James Briscall
2/4/2018 01:24:34 pm

This is an ability i have consciously accessed/utilised within the last year or so; after reading 'The Sixth Sense' by Laurie Nadel. I need to have a still mind; focus & a quiet environment to be able to have a question i ask; 'answered'. That said i like to refer to my intuition fairly regularly as i think of it as needing to be used; & even in challenging situations i have found the insights valuable

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Nick Wright
2/4/2018 01:25:56 pm

Hi James. The Sixth Sense sounds interesting and it sounds like you have found its practice useful. Do you have any examples you could share here..?

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Dr. Saul L. Miller
2/4/2018 01:29:28 pm

Intuition is a genuine source of meaningful information. Not to be ignored.

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Nick Wright
2/4/2018 01:29:58 pm

Hi Saul. Do you have any examples you could share?

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Tony Bond
2/4/2018 01:31:01 pm

It reminds me of a comment made by a then rare female senior executive in a heavy industry company in the USA on the same topic: “If it feels good don’t say it”.

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Nick Wright
2/4/2018 01:31:43 pm

Hi Tony. I don't understand. Can you say more?

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Chris Chew
2/4/2018 01:37:56 pm

I feel its important to cultivate the sensitivity to emotion and intuition but to take that as part of the information with the rational thinking to make the best decision. The best decision is ultimately the choice or action that creates the greatest net value. Its something i'm committed to do when working others whether its coaching, training or consulting.

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Nick Wright
2/4/2018 01:39:18 pm

Hi Chris. That sounds like a good balancing technique. Interestingly...what we perceive as 'net value' is sometimes influenced by whether we perceive someone or something intuitively or rationally.

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Timi Gleason
2/4/2018 01:40:00 pm

Intuition is a challenge when using it in business, especially in disciplines where measurement and data are highly valued. Intuition is basically not tangible. So, in order to get others to give your intuition (or their intuition) a chance, you might have to leverage some "signs" that you are on the right track even though you can't prove it based on previous experience or data. Example: "Here's what I'd like to try: and if the following three things don't happen after we try it...let's keep going to (set a milestone)!" People will take the journey with you when you can provide "make or break" check points that will help them manage their potential risk and loss. This brings some "tangible-ness" to the formula above also.

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Nick Wright
2/4/2018 01:46:10 pm

Hi Timi. I think that's a very interesting approach and resonates for me with fields like action research. Formulate a hypothesis, try something, review, learn, move forward. I think we could apply the same approach to decisions reached by rational process as well as by intuition.

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Paul Cadario
2/4/2018 01:47:22 pm

This is ‘use of self’.

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Nick Wright
2/4/2018 01:47:41 pm

Hi Paul. Say more..?

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Donna Hunter ACC
3/4/2018 09:51:14 am

Great share ! I love discussion on intuition !

We all have the power to be intuitive. Some of us are strongly tapped into our deep knowings and guide our lives well listening to them. Some of us are not tuned in and can learn to trust our inner information system 😊

I remember watching a show one time about intuition. Their was a panel of people sharing about a crime committed against them. each person shared how before the crime happened they had a strong inner pull make them feel that something was off. Each one of them dismissed it and now wish they had listened and spared themselves the hardship!

I myself am very in tune with my intuitive self and have many stories where I saved myself and family from harms way.

I mindfully follow my inner knowings to guide me to my best path forward to achieve all I wish to create in my life.

When I am coaching I trust in the present moment of my intuition to guide me with empowering words and questions that help me to serve my clients best.

Thank you for this post and invitation to share 😌

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Nick Wright
3/4/2018 09:54:05 am

Thanks Donna. The show you mention sounds fascinating. It sounds like your intuition has often served you well in decision-making. Have you also had experienced where your gut feel has proved wrong I have!

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Lisa Etzel LCPC BCC
3/4/2018 09:55:10 am

I am trusting and aware of my intuition but also unattached to the interpretation of it. My favorite part is the metaphor that come from it - either mine or the client's. I love the creativity piece of that process. I have also, as Donna sais above, saved myself or my family from hardship.

I work alot with internal family systems. Self-leadership comes from a very intuitive place - all knowing without the ego if that makes sense. Very calm, relaxed and centered which is how I am with my clients in session...Easier for me and it evokes that in them!

Thanks NIck for asking.....

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Nick Wright
3/4/2018 09:58:31 am

Thanks Lisa. That's a great link between intuition and metaphor. Given that we often experience intuition physically, I may invite clients to physically enact imagery and metaphors that come to mind to notice what emerges into awareness when they do. This related article may be of interest..? http://www.nick-wright.com/just-do-it.html

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Joan Conlan
3/4/2018 09:59:40 am

The more experience I gain the more I trust my intuition
I didn’t trust it when I began working as a psychotherapist but now after a few years of experience I trust it more
Checking in with the client if your intuition is giving a true reflection of what might be implied but not stated is worth pursuing.

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Nick Wright
3/4/2018 10:05:54 am

Hi Joan. That sounds like my own journey too...learning and trusting 'use of self'. Yes, checking it out with the client - tentatively and without forcing or superimposing - can be very useful. This short related piece from the coaching arena may be of interest? http://www.nick-wright.com/blog/use-of-self-in-coaching

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Dana Kelly
3/4/2018 02:42:15 pm

Great topic! I am curious as to how people define intuition?

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Nick Wright
3/4/2018 02:44:45 pm

Thanks Dana. I think of intuition as something like 'subconscious learning from experience' that bypasses our rational, cognitive 'knowing' and tends to express itself through a physical sensation rather than words.

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Cynthia Roomes
3/4/2018 02:46:16 pm

My instinct stems from 'primordial passion for a cause' that means something to me personally, I draw upon it mostly in campaigns complaints and protests.
My intuition stems from 'acquired learning and experience' I draw upon it always in my day job of finding the best routes to achieving success, or in understanding what blockages and obstacles prevent success. Intuition serves me in understanding whether or not blockages and obstacles can be removed or circumnavigated, or in accepting that I must move on or walk away because these blockages and obstacles are intransigent and not in the realm of my controls. My intuition lets me know when to stop wasting my time and energy.

There have been times where I've found that 'gut instinct' does come to fore, a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach, often followed (sometime ages later) by a crack or fissure in my thought processes (like a lightning bolt in the head), in my 'rationality'. It has only been intuition (acquired learning and experience) and the moments of slow motion in real time, that have brought me back to the point of 'control'. Rather than to react without control, and thereby satisfy the detrimental desired outcomes of others, I am able to respond in control, and to make a decision based on a beneficial desired outcome relatable to myself.

The question of intuitive and instinctive control, and how this relates to critical thinking and rationality is a big issue for me, and for many of the individuals and communities I work with.

Effective community engagement in this context is a critical mass, here is a model I developed based on acquired learning and experience:
The Well Connected Cycle of Community Engagement
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/well-connected-cycle-community-engagement-cynthia-roomes?trk=mp-reader-card

How politics and government, policy and strategy, set the scene, and impact on these processes, and the decisions people make, generates the magnitude.

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Nick Wright
3/4/2018 02:56:38 pm

Hi Cynthia and thank you for expressing your experience of intuition so powerfully and profoundly. I love your reflections and evocative use of language: 'a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach, often followed (sometime ages later) by a crack or fissure in my thought processes (like a lightning bolt in the head), in my 'rationality'. It has only been intuition (acquired learning and experience) and the moments of slow motion in real time, that have brought me back to the point of 'control'. Rather than to react without control, and thereby satisfy the detrimental desired outcomes of others, I am able to respond in control, and to make a decision based on a beneficial desired outcome...' Thank you for sharing the link too.

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Frank Marlow, Ph.D.
3/4/2018 03:48:29 pm

This is a tricky one. We "know" so much that is below the surface of our conscious awareness, built upon a reservoir of prior experience, which can be called intuition. But if we have limited knowledge, and/or little prior experience, our intuition can be dead wrong. Artists and geniuses can get away with relying on this, but contemporary leadership requires a knowledge of the environment, a sensitivity to many stakeholders, and a responsibility to justify decisions which expend resources. So I do not think intuition alone will get one far. But I could be wrong.... that is just what my gut is telling me ; )

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Nick Wright
3/4/2018 04:33:46 pm

Hi Frank. I think that's a good point. Insofar as intuition is learning from immersion in experience, it may be that we can trust our intuition insofar as it is relevant to the contexts in which we find ourselves..?

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Frank Markow, Ph.D.
4/4/2018 03:20:48 pm

Agreed. Leadership is always context sensitive, so it makes sense that how we use intuition as a leader is also context sensitive. Sounds like we have an emerging construct on "situational intuition" going on here...

Bob Larcher
4/4/2018 03:21:32 pm

Regarding Frank's "our intuition can be dead wrong" comment.

That's why it is important to try and "verify" intuitions with some hard facts; things that can be "seen", "felt", "heard", etc.

Peter Lawrence DipM, MCIM, Chartered Marketer
4/4/2018 01:30:04 pm

In my experience intuition is effective within a known relationship, its having the knowledge of the person or situation on which to use your intuition . To use it within a new relationship can only be done after listening and asking the right questions to truly see if the basis of your intuition is based on understanding the perimeters in place.
For example if a person/community presents a problem and you use your intuition to solve the problem have you truly understood the impact of that solution without listening to all perspectives. A reduced bus service subsidy decided for financial reasons alone does not measure the impact on social isolation and the ability for independent living, therefore a finance manager listens to bus users and decides on his intuition that its the right decision but hasn't built the required relationships to truly engage and find the best outcome. Does that make sense? it does in my head.

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Nick Wright
4/4/2018 01:36:07 pm

Hi Peter. It sounds like you are saying we need to test our intuition by listening well in each new relationship and situation and not, say, making assumptions based on our past experiences? Have I understood you correctly?

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Melodie Turk
4/4/2018 01:38:00 pm

I think we all work in a balance of intuition and objectives. One mentor helped me walk through my "intuition" reasoning on a project once -- when I was having trouble getting buy-in. He showed me that others can not feel what I'm feeling so I need to have others ways to express it that have meaning to the other people. It was a good self reflection exercised: Why am I feeling the way I am? Why should it mean something to my audience and what does my audience care about -- how do I marry the two? I think using our intuition is important, but we also need to understand where it's coming from and how to share that experience with other people.

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Nick Wright
4/4/2018 01:41:04 pm

Hi Melodie. Yes, I think that's one of the challenges of working with intuition. It is often a felt sense rather than a clearly articulated reason. This can make finding language to express and explain our intuitions - and, at times, finding convincing reasons to support them - difficult.

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Suman Singh
4/4/2018 01:42:17 pm

Is it like listening to higher self?
Silence actually says more ...

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Nick Wright
4/4/2018 01:43:20 pm

Hi Suman. I guess that depends on what we mean by 'higher self'...and 'silence' in contrast to what..?

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Darlene Slaughter
4/4/2018 01:44:10 pm

I like to think of intuition as one of the many options when making a decision. It becomes the hypothesis and then you have to put strategies in place to support or disprove. If this happens then this, if not then this. Intuition is a great tool to hone because so many have buried the ability to use it effectively, it's something we all have, whether we use it or not. Trusting your intuition is also supported by past experiences as well. It certainly helps you to ask questions that can lead you in the right direction and then data and strategy can help to support those intangible findings.

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Nick Wright
4/4/2018 01:45:53 pm

Hi Darlene. It sounds like you have experience in this area. Do you have any examples you could share here..?

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Mira Brancu, PhD
4/4/2018 01:46:47 pm

I think when we have less experience, intuition can be perhaps less helpful as it is a "gut feeling" without the knowledge/wisdom to have an accurate target. I have found that with more experience, though, my intuition is in fact based on solid knowledge and expertise - if I have a "gut feeling" about something, it's because I have faced a similar situation before. I don't necessarily rush to act it out in all cases - I still gather data to support the action if it is needed, but not all situations require the same amount of up-front data collection to make a decision. Sometimes the intuition is coming from the kind of data that has been gathered over decades of experience in similar situations.

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Nick Wright
4/4/2018 01:48:22 pm

Hi Mira. I agree - and well said.

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Dr. Philip Merry
4/4/2018 01:49:33 pm

Reference to Intuition is growing fast in business circles - it should be treated as an adjunct to rationality - take a "head partnering with heart" approach is what i find works best. When I ask people to identify decisions made intuitively there are no lack of answers. I find it also helps to talk about the Newtonian and Quantum paradigms. "Logic only" is a Newtonian paradigm and quantum mechanics is about energetic and magnetic connection between people. Intuition is about connecting to the quantum field. I have just finished my PhD in Synchronicity and Leadership - and my grounded theory field work with business leaders indicates that intution is strongly linked to synchronicity.

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Nick Wright
4/4/2018 01:52:07 pm

Hi Philip. Your PhD sounds fascinating. Can you say something more about 'synchronicity' and how it relates to intuition, perhaps with an example from experience to illustrate it?

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Roland Sullivan
4/4/2018 01:53:01 pm

Intuition plays a huge part in my organization development consulting experience.

When sherry duda was doing ODN’s Global framework, I told her that a significant new competency that is surfacing is super intuitional consciousness. I have it. Jack gibb one of our founders had it. It’s easier for Women to tap into.

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Nick Wright
4/4/2018 01:54:25 pm

Hi Roland. Can you give some examples from your OD consulting practice that show what 'super intuitional consciousness' could look and feel like in practice?

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Sushma Sharma. PCC
4/4/2018 01:55:24 pm

I think I operate a lot from my intuition. My best intervention come from my deep listening to my self and others. I listen and trust my intuition. Sometimes it's almost like a miracle. It feels like someone else is speaking through me.. Almost ninety percent of the time it's bang on.. My best decisions and interventions come from intuition, later I can see the logic of it.

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Nick Wright
4/4/2018 02:00:49 pm

Hi Sushma. Thank you for expressing that so vividly and profoundly. I love the way you expressed it experientially: 'Sometimes it's almost like a miracle. It feels like someone else is speaking through me.' That is how it often feels to me too. As a follower of Jesus, the 'someone else speaking through me' has resonances, for me, with spiritual discernment too.

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Luigi Gerardi
4/4/2018 02:02:12 pm

It's a big issue: what part intuition plays in my practice...the first answer in my mind is...the Needs analysis step, yes there I use my intuition- where the client is driving me? Is it the real need or there is another one covered? The same when I hear the final clients (line or staff) feedback during intervention...how did they live the survey? Which is their real feedback? Check again: which is the real problem/s? Are there problems behind the explicit demand? In these phases I use very often my intuition. Also my intuition guides me along the way to empathize with final client. Thanks for sharing.

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Nick Wright
4/4/2018 02:10:42 pm

Thanks Luigi. It sounds like you draw on your intuition to inquire and pick up on that which may lay beneath the surface when working with clients. That's how I try to work too...increasingly listening to my own 'inner voice', at times even if only a faint whisper.

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Laura Coleman, Ph.D., BCC
4/4/2018 02:30:15 pm

From the beginning of my work as a therapist, people insisted I was psychic when I replayed their thoughts and feelings back to them. Now they comment that I’m intuitive. I hear what people say with their words, the spaces between the words, tone of voice, and so on. I rely on that. As a coach, it’s not my place to make decisions for my clients. Only to ask questions, listen carefully, respond to them and ask more questions. I respect their intuition as much as my own.

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Nick Wright
4/4/2018 02:33:03 pm

Hi Laura. Yes, intuitive insight can often be experienced as something like mystery and magic! I like your expression, 'the spaces between the words' and your comment, 'I respect their intuition as much as my own.' Very important.

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Michael Richtberg
4/4/2018 03:09:28 pm

If intuition is parenthetically considered experience and that helps drive some direction which is then validated... then that formula can be successful. It's when the validation doesn't get completed that there's a lot more risk in getting things right. A test: Could you complete a business plan based on the intuition insight? If not, then get the rest of the execution plan together.

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Nick Wright
4/4/2018 03:18:52 pm

Hi Michael. 'Could you complete a business plan based on the intuition insight?' Good question. The problem may, however, lay in the question itself. Perhaps intuition is a better guide for vision, purpose, focus, timing, relationships etc?

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Heike Graf
4/4/2018 03:23:22 pm

I would love the manager in industries to relay on their intuition. By the way it is a field women could show their talents rather try to be more rational than men. From y point of view everybody has access to his or her intuition if he or she learns to listen to it and to trust it.

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Nick Wright
4/4/2018 03:27:44 pm

Hi Heike. Here's a question for reflection: Are women naturally more intuitive than men per se...or are men expected culturally to rely more on and demonstrate, say, reason and logic in their decision-making?

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Charles Fuller III
5/4/2018 10:48:41 am

"...So - what do you think?"
Thanks for the opportunity to comment:
As I understand how humans work: we see something/a stimui/etc., we tell ourselves a story about it, that creates an emotion, we act on that emotion (in split sec. of multipel neural synapses). In OD we teach self observation to have the ability to change the story so that different actions R possible. So less on intuition (emotion tempering thought) and more on thought (tempering feelings/intution) for use of competencies to improve outcomes.
- -Chad

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Nick Wright
5/4/2018 10:53:36 am

Thanks Chad. I'm intrigued. I wonder what relationship there is between subsconscious stories/narrative and intuition. You have me thinking too! You may find this short related piece interesting?

http://www.nick-wright.com/blog/whats-your-story

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Tom Oliver
5/4/2018 03:10:30 pm

I am a firm believer in using assessments, particularly a personality and a values instruments. i find intuition very helpful in combining many data points which reveal the source of opportunities and explanation of behavioral patterns. invaluable in putting together an action plan for a client.

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Nick Wright
5/4/2018 03:11:32 pm

Hi Tom. Do you have any examples of using intuition to combine data points that you could share?

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Aldo Delli Paoli
5/4/2018 05:53:59 pm

Based on my knowledge, intuition is a kind of impression that is not mediated by consciousness or reasoning but is instead mediated by past experiences and emotions associated with them. It is the experience that we always attach to our unconscious to determine the improvement of our intuitive ability. It is not about coincidences, but another way of getting to the right conclusions. When making decisions intuitively, we are influenced by all the experiences we have experienced regarding a feeling. This process happens unconsciously, and is based on some variables that depend on each individual's personality and beliefs. For this reason, we meet more intuitive subjects than others.

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Nick Wright
5/4/2018 05:55:30 pm

Hi Aldo. I think that's a very interesting and useful way of thinking about intuition. Do you have any examples from experience you could share here?

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Kate Guest
6/4/2018 10:07:48 am

Great post Nick. I also remember a story about a business magnate making a decision in a similar way, tossing a coin saying a decision either way is better than no decision.

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Nick Wright
6/4/2018 10:09:09 am

Thanks Kate. Tossing a coin definitely adds a new dimension to the conversation..! :)

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Francis Jamieson
6/4/2018 10:10:59 am

How refreshing to see the word "intuition" up for discussion, although tricky as often words fail to describe how intuition and intuitive response happens in interventions with clients.
In my practice, I am lucky in that I have a broad set of tools/trainings and text-book based interventions, but I mainly work from a feeling/intuitive place of what needs to happen next. I had a really frustrating discussion with a counsellor colleague the other day. We were looking at doing a piece of work together, working with a transgender teen and a possible bully. My teammate wanted to know before entering the meeting exactly what we were going to do, how, why, what for etc etc. While I could offer generic, "explore the situation, maximise the learning for us all, try and get to a place that is satisfactory for all, increase awareness etc etc blabla" I couldn't pin it down enough for her. Finally, out of exasperation, I said something like, "Look, we go in, get a feel for it and see where we go."

Intuition, a fantastic tool... Listen to it, use it carefully while checking in with client if it is the right way to go. Don't listen to it at your own peril...

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Nick Wright
6/4/2018 10:17:35 am

Thanks Francis. The situation you described in conversation with the counsellor sounds so much like many conversations I have too! :) In Myers-Briggs terms, my 'N' preference bends the needle and, at times, I have to try consciously to use framing and language that connects with people who have more of an 'S' preference. I have also moved from J towards P in my practice over the years. Are you familiar with the MBTI framework?

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Graeme Stuart
9/4/2018 11:47:35 am

I suspect there is a close relationship between intuition and experience. I used to say that I wasn't very intuitive, but later realised that I was pretty intuitive when facilitating groups. When I reflected on the times when I followed my intuition, I was reacting to subtle behaviour in the group. My intuition was based on lots of experience working with groups and my brain putting it all together. It was an example of unconscious competent (of the stages of competence: unconsciously incompetent, consciously competent, consciously competent, unconsciously competent) .
One of the reasons I think reflective practice is so important is that it allows us to move towards more successful intuition.
I also agree that it emotion and intuition are quite different.

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Nick Wright
9/4/2018 11:49:54 am

Hi Graeme. I agree vis a vis intuition and experience. I'm not sure how far the 'brain puts it all together'. We often experience intuition physically rather than mentally and I wonder if the 'putting it all together' is a response to the intuitive stimulus, an attempt to make sense of it?

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Virginia Richardson
9/4/2018 11:51:05 am

I think it’s a balance of both. Knowing how to pick up on subtle cues, getting a sense of what will and won’t work in a given situation, and sense what people are responding to is something that takes time to tune into and you’re always improving. There’s definitely skill involved, but is the ability to tap into your intuition something that comes naturally to some and not others, or something you can learn?

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Nick Wright
9/4/2018 11:55:03 am

Hi Virginia. Good question. Insofar as intuition relates to areas such as emotional intelligence (EI), I guess it can be learned? Perhaps part of the learning is learning awareness - noticing and paying attention to those prompts that we may ordinarily ignore or dismiss...

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Joel Levin
9/4/2018 11:56:08 am

Really important conversation to be having. I would offer a further distinction and that is the difference between feelings and emotion. We have 'rational intellect' (which has a role), we feel (sensory acuity to life interactions and our surrounds) and our emotions (our reactions to what we feel, based on our beliefs and schemas of the world and our self).

Personally I have found that running off emotions drains me. Relying only on intellect has also been a trap as the mind will convince us of anything, if we are sufficiently attached to an belief or ideal...

The gold has been in embracing my sensory acuity (what is felt) as this seems to come from the body. For the most part, the body is interested in the well-being and care for self and others. As I learn to understand that level of sensitivity and decouple my emotional reactions from what is felt, the richer my ability to 'read' situations becomes and more able i am to support groups not become caught in the mind or emotion.

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Nick Wright
9/4/2018 11:57:57 am

Thanks Joel. Interesting reflections. Do you have any examples from experience that you could share here?

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Jo Royle
13/4/2018 09:39:48 am

In my coaching and facilitation work I find intuition to be incredibly powerful in helping people see what's not in their awareness. Sometimes what I think I'm picking up is off the mark... but I never assume it to be true... always checking out my intuitions. Recognising the power of intuition years ago, I learnt to meditate in order to give myself better access to intuition and the courage to speak it. My feeling is that instinct is a different thing from intuition. It feels to me like instinct comes from reaction... from programming. And that intuition comes more from the heart. I think there's thought applied with intuition... more than with instinct. Maybe rationale sits somewhere between instinct and intuition. Often we have no idea how much of our 'rational' thinking comes from conditioning too... the beliefs and emotions that sit beneath it controlling the conclusions we draw. Bruce Lipton in his book The Biology of Belief proposes that 95% of our thoughts, behaviours and actions come from our conditioning!

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Nick Wright
13/4/2018 09:53:06 am

Hi Jo. It sounds like you have very positive experiences of drawing on intuition. I often work with clients to help them notice and draw on their intuition too. I agree with you about 'never assume it to be true' and, at the same time, I don't know that it's always possible to check it out. Sometimes it feels to me like a mystical experience...a step in faith..?

On rationality and conditioning, you may find this short piece resonates? http://www.nick-wright.com/blog/whose-thoughts-am-i-thinking

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Jennifer Schwartz
16/4/2018 05:58:19 pm

This is a fascinating question and very relevant to my coaching style as we were taught to use our intuition as part of our practice. I always listen in between the words being spoken as "gold" then the thoughts flood in as I know what is coming forward is the way to direct the conversation.

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Nick Wright
16/4/2018 05:59:22 pm

Hi Jennifer. That sounds great. Do you have any examples from your personal coaching experience that you could share here?

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Bruno Lean
17/4/2018 10:32:21 am

The Holy Spirit is the author of intuition for Christian coaches.

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Nick Wright
17/4/2018 10:33:10 am

Hi Bruno. Learning to recognise His voice...

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Brigitte Jowanka
17/4/2018 10:34:23 am

My gut feeling was a new wisdom i used only 30 of my life years. After i had cancer with 30...
Now i am still trying to get the best input from my intuitions. For most all decisions.
Life proves me right many times. Abd sometimes at the 2nd look. But still. I give it a chance.
With clients i am better than with myself. I can get the vibes the attitude and the intent mostly right. I read body language n facial expressions well. I listen to logical patterns and can get into it ti make them understand...goals or contrasts.
It took me long to trust my Guts but life
Showed me I can.
And There are people who make me go "stop" on my inside. They stay out of my life..because I know they are abusive.

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Nick Wright
17/4/2018 10:38:01 am

Thanks for sharing from personal experience, Brigitte. Yes, when working with clients it can sometimes feel like discerning the spaces between the notes, the unspoken words, a mysterious knowing. I too have had those 'stop' moments. Sometimes I have acted on it, at other times not. It's a journey of learning and discovery.

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Vicky Ross
17/4/2018 10:39:03 am

Really interesting article thank you Nick.

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Nick Wright
17/4/2018 10:39:21 am

Thanks Vicky! :)

Reply
Ilona Tse, CPC
17/4/2018 10:40:13 am

I usually use it when the coaching session could go both ways in moving forward. What is the better question to ask or which direction to take. And I usually trust my instinct in steering the session forward in this scenario.

Reply
Nick Wright
17/4/2018 10:42:37 am

Hi Ilona. That sounds like a good example of trusting gut instinct or intuition. In my own earlier coaching career, I think I tended to focus too much on technique. I'm now learning to focus more on prayer, presence and intuition.

Reply
Kim Marino
20/4/2018 12:36:38 pm

Nick intuition is coming from beyond ourselves too. It's all actually within and beyond ourselves at the same time.

Reply
Nick Wright
20/4/2018 12:37:24 pm

Hi Kim. I'm intrigued. Can you say a bit more about 'beyond ourselves'?

Reply
Martine Bolton
20/4/2018 12:38:09 pm

I acted on the basis of a strong feeling earlier in the week. Whilst it felt like the right thing to do at the time (inspired action!), in hindsight I don't believe it was.

Ah well - all useful learning!

Reply
Nick Wright
20/4/2018 12:38:44 pm

Hi Martine. Thanks for such an honest response. I would love to hear more..!

Reply
Heddy Macaulay
20/4/2018 12:39:55 pm

Wisdom has been overtaken by knowledge and data, I recently watched InnSaei - The Power of Intuition, renowned thinkers and spiritualists discuss the Icelandic concept of intuition, which enables humans to connect through intuition and empathy. Listen to your gut!

Reply
Nick Wright
20/4/2018 12:41:11 pm

Hi Heddy. Can you say a bit more about 'the Icelandic concept of intuition'?

Reply
Monica O'Brien
20/4/2018 12:41:50 pm

Hi Nick, I have learned to trust my intuition (I call them soul prompts). When I’m deeply listening grace and insight flow. I experience this regularly in my coaching practice.

Reply
Nick Wright
20/4/2018 12:42:34 pm

Hi Monica. That sounds great. Do you have any examples from your coaching practice that you could share here?

Reply
Michel Codere
8/5/2018 11:54:26 am

I think the best decisions and coaching advice I give is to pay attention to both rational thinking and intuitive thoughts. Both are complementary. Intuition is sometimes faster and better able to account for complex situations, but there can be biases there, so a quick rationale check is always good to do.

I believe this is what mindfulness is all about, paying attention to subtle gut feelings and intuition, while knowing potential biases, facts and realities around contexts. Mindfulness Awareness Meditation techniques have proven really good for integrating both aspects.

Anyone else has ideas on effectively employing both logical and intuitive thinking optimally?

Reply
Nick Wright
8/5/2018 11:55:48 am

Hi Michel. I agree that intuition is subject to bias. I believe that rational processes are too!

Reply
Ravi Walsh
8/5/2018 11:56:33 am

After 25 years, I now have come to rely on Intuition for the majority of my guidance in coaching clients. Intuition connects me to the present moment where the real issue and breakthrough is brewing. However, I rely on the sound foundation of my tools to assist clients in changing their fundamental beliefs. So it really is a balance of both! This is a great question, thanks Nick!

Reply
Nick Wright
8/5/2018 11:58:03 am

Thanks Ravi. It sounds like you have a found a good way of drawing on both intuition and rationality in your coaching practice.

Reply
Shealagh Kate King
8/5/2018 11:59:13 am

Because my body-mind methods support self-study, the client primarily accesses their own wisdom. When I get a ‘hunch’ in the form of an image, a body sensation or unshakable thought, I may ask permission to share it, form a question from it or hold onto it to see if it comes up later so I don’t step over someones inner process. Wisdom gotten to in our own embodied way anchors in far deeper than a coaches words, no matter how wonderfully inspired.

Reply
Nick Wright
8/5/2018 12:00:51 pm

Hi Shealagh. I like that description - 'an image, a body sensation or an unshakeable thought.'

Reply
Shane O Sullivan
8/5/2018 12:01:38 pm

I find intuition or observing intuitive reactions in others demonstrated via their body language as revolutionary in my coaching practise. The more feedback I get on my intuitive coaching when I have the courage the follow it the more positive it is. Remarkable insights to be gained and interested to hearing more opinions.

Reply
Nick Wright
8/5/2018 12:02:24 pm

Hi Shane. That sounds fascinating. Do you have a case example you could share here?

Reply
Kim Marino
8/5/2018 12:03:15 pm

The wisdom that flows through me comes from my Intuition. One only needs to believe and allow. It is how we are created. Intuition comes from a deeper part of us and is connected to the universal energy in which we are created.

Reply
Nick Wright
8/5/2018 12:04:45 pm

Hi Kim. That sounds quite mysterious to me. Can you say a bit more about what you mean - 'the universal energy in which we are created'?

Reply
Anna Dolabjian
8/5/2018 12:05:41 pm

Very often I plan for the session. "Logically this is how I will deal with the areas I have spotted that need to be worked on." Then, once the session starts, it takes its own direction and eventually I apply different techniques that I had planned for. As if there is an inner force that picks up the signals from the client and leads me. And that is the INTUITION. But what is important is the availability of the box of tools to use from, and that is the knowledge that a coach has to accumulate logically. It comes with ongoing practice and unstoppable learning.

Reply
Nick Wright
8/5/2018 12:08:31 pm

Hi Anna. I like your emphasis on, 'an inner force that picks up the signals from the client and leads me.' You may find these related pieces interesting?

http://www.nick-wright.com/blog/listening-for-a-voice
http://www.nick-wright.com/just-do-it.html

Reply
Lauren McLaughlin
8/5/2018 12:09:58 pm

When a client is stuck on a decision my first question is what’s your gut telling you?

Reply
Nick Wright
8/5/2018 12:10:31 pm

Hi Lauren. It's a good question. Then...what next..?

Reply
Edris Tucker
8/5/2018 12:11:16 pm

When I have commented on an intuition I feel about a client it is typically only a confirmation of what the client already knows is true and yet they find it useful that they have been seen and understood.

Reply
Nick Wright
8/5/2018 12:12:16 pm

Hi Edris. That sounds a lot like empathy at its best.

Reply
Glynis Stevens
8/5/2018 12:13:53 pm

Intuition is what it's all about. Our mind too often is our inner critic.

Reply
Nick Wright
8/5/2018 12:14:36 pm

Hi Glynis. Intriguing. Do you have any examples from experience you could share?

Reply
Carmen Farmer
8/5/2018 12:15:35 pm

I don't know where it comes from, but many of my coaching questions come from what I have labeled "intuition." I experience it as a spontaneous knowing of what to do or say next, and it doesn't seem to come from the rational part of the mind. I could accept that it comes from constantly taking in information on a level that's not always conscious in the moment or something similar to what Malcom Gladwell talks about in Blink.

Reply
Nick Wright
8/5/2018 12:17:55 pm

Hi Carmen. Well said. That's how I experience intuition too! It raises interesting questions and reflections for me vis a vis tapping into a spiritual transpersonal dimension...or, as a Christian, the Holy Spirit. What do you think?

Reply
Soheila Ektefaie
8/5/2018 12:19:28 pm

We can not forget the present moment.

Reply
Nick Wright
8/5/2018 12:19:56 pm

Hi Soheila. Say more..?

Reply
Chris Jachimowicz
8/5/2018 12:20:48 pm

Is there no such thing as rational instinct?

Reply
Nick Wright
8/5/2018 12:21:26 pm

Hi Chris. Interesting question! What does your rational instinct tell you..?

Reply
Rob Haley
8/5/2018 12:22:07 pm

I like comparing the development of intuition as similar to developing humor. I noticed that comedians are very instinctual and I can see how my own intuition developed through my humor. I wrote a quick article on my thoughts about intuition here:
http://www.morelifeinmyday.com/2018/01/developing-your-intuition.html

Reply
Nick Wright
8/5/2018 12:23:38 pm

Thanks Rob - and for sharing the link! :)

Reply
Lisa Bowen
11/5/2018 11:09:50 am

Intuition totally guides me, even though my clients follow a set programme, the questions I ask are different for each group or individual & sometimes i wonder why I'm saying what I do because it certainly has come through me, not from me. I learned a long time ago to trust it because it is always right, even if it doesn't feel like it at the time <3

Reply
Nick Wright
11/5/2018 11:11:13 am

Hi Lisa. I am intrigued. Can you say more about, 'through me, not from me'? And do you have any case examples you could share?

Reply
Arul Dev V
11/5/2018 11:11:48 am

The coach’s capacity is critical
To differentiate true intrusions that suddenly illuminate
Versus
Mind playing games, secretly camouflaging personal agenda to appear glittery as intuitions

True intuitions help one to walk a liberating path
Camouflages cause a high but results in a stuck state - where one is now.

Coach needs to ask insightful questions for the client to distinguish and discriminate
Without any intrusion into their discovery process

Reply
Nick Wright
11/5/2018 11:13:15 am

Hi Arul. What interesting reflections! How do you discern which intuitions are 'real' or 'true'?

Reply
Cath Norris
14/5/2018 08:51:01 am

To a large extent I stopped processing information cognitively during coaching sessions. It began to feel clumsy and unnecessary. The human body has far more receptors carrying information into the brain than out of it. I think that once we've evolved our core values and principles for coaching we can begin to ride the waves far more instinctively and that brings us into the flow of connection and relating. We can begin to dream into nuance and navigate by our felt sense.

There's research on the gut being 'the second brain' but I'd give it and our somatic awareness, precedence over cognitive aspects of our functioning. The cognitive brain kicks in when we need to map but it can't help us unfold the dreaming beneath the surface.

Reply
Nick Wright
14/5/2018 08:51:52 am

Hi Cath. 'Unfold the dreaming beneath the surface.' I like that.

Reply
Markus Tröge
18/5/2018 09:46:35 am

"Intuition is a divine gift, the thinking mind a faithful servant. It is a paradox that today we have begun to worship the servant and profane the divine gift." (Albert Einstein)

Reply
Nick Wright
18/5/2018 09:47:02 am

Hi Markus. Profound!

Reply
Sergi Nom
31/5/2018 12:22:50 pm

Once internalized the psych-k protocols I used after over 2500 balances, I'd say over 90% of my facilitation practice is based in 3 pilars: active listening, sensitivity and intuition :) thank you for the post Nick!

Reply
Nick Wright
31/5/2018 12:23:30 pm

Hi Sergi. That sounds interesting. Do you have any examples from experience you could share here?

Reply
Tünde Erdös
15/8/2018 04:37:20 pm

Hi Nick, thank you for sharing this post. My take is that there are more ways how to conceptualise intuition. I could think of one in addition to the way you describe it in your post. It is more around ‚developing a felt sense of what’s going on either in a person or what is inherent in a situation‘. So this type of intuitive felt sense can’t be reasoned. I can explain it after I had acted on my felt sense, that is, once I spontaneously responded to situation on having the felt sense. In being an effortless responsiveness to either a person or a situation, it definitely is in contrast to how you describe your experience about ‚thinking first before acting‘, right?

I hope this adds value. Tünde

Reply
Nick Wright
15/8/2018 05:06:51 pm

Hi Tünde and thank you. Yes, I agree with you that intuition is a 'felt sense'. I think that is a good way of describing it. It's often something that we experience physically rather than, say, rationally or emotionally. 'Effortless responsiveness' is a good phrase too!

Reply
Anuraag Surany Raman
22/11/2018 11:28:53 am

Not all decisions arrived at with rational and logical thinking are necessarily the best ones.. Often its your intuition and gut combined with your readiness to take the required risks or take that 'leap of faith' that lead to surprising and fruitful outcomes.

Reply
Nick Wright
22/11/2018 11:29:22 am

Hi Anuraag. I agree.

Reply



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    ​Nick Wright

    ​I'm a psychological coach, trainer and OD consultant. Curious to discover how can I help you? ​Get in touch!

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