I’ve spent time here writing at length about listening to your intuition and the positive changes you can make to your career and those around you. I think by now it’s pretty obvious that I believe it to be one of the critical skills in business, yet it’s still so underused.
I find people still don’t trust their gut when it comes to making good business decisions. I understand that there’s a lot riding on some of the decisions you make and sometimes saying you “just went with your gut” isn’t enough to satisfy a Board of Directors. But at some point, you really have to pull the trigger and say, “Yes, I feel that this is right.”
So how can you make the transition from a logical, facts and figures decision maker to someone who pairs knowledge with their intuition? There are a few key steps:
Lighten up. People look at decision making as such a heavy responsibility. When you make it such a grave thing, you tend to over think every decision you make. Lighten up a little bit. Stop thinking so much about every little detail and just react.
Tune in. For goodness sake, LISTEN to your intuition. I’ve stressed it so many times here. If you’re not listening, how will you even begin to know what your gut is telling you? Just relax and listen to what your heart has to say.
Pair up. Once you know what your gut is telling you, match it up with some substantial logic or facts so that you have something to present in order to back up the way that you feel about a decision. Pay attention the details here. Often your gut is simply picking up on small signals or changes that your brain may have missed.
Speak out. Don’t be afraid of expressing your intuition. You’ve got it, flaunt it. If you don’t say something when it comes time to make a decision, your intuitive choice will never get heard, even if it’s the best way to move forward.
