Intuition

Most of us call it intuition, but Dan Ariely calls it irrationality.

McKinsey Quarterly brought a great interview to my inbox. Dan Ariely on Irrationality in the Workplace challenges us to step outside logical thinking and to use our intuition in management.  (Note: You may need to register on the McKinsey site to see and read this interview.)

In the section called, "When to trust your gut", Ariely emphasizes that training and preparation are fundamental to using your intuition.  Just guessing is not useful in business.  Repetitious practice trains our minds in ways that are still relatively unknown; thus, relying on intuition is a way of relying on thorough preparation.

In "The Benefits of Irrationality", Ariely points out that people tend to trust each other, which is useful in business.  Trust can be an irrational behaviour, because even strangers extend trust to others.  Even more so, managers should trust their staff and trust their staff's intuition in making decisions and taking action.

Of particular relevance, given recent headlines about scandalous bonuses, Ariely points out in "Internal Motivation" that people are driven by more than money.  Competition, completion, self-fulfillment and obligation are some of the most powerful motivators that he has researched. In my management experience, self-fulfillment is the key motivator - my ability to achieve goals was directly influenced by the extent to which I could enable staff and myself to feel personally fulfilled.