ARTICLES
& REPORTS
Personal
Creativity
- P e r s o n a l _ C r e a t i v i t y -
Can Intuition Be An Active Part of the Innovation Process? You Bet!
By Nancy Rosanoff
Intuition has been a part of the innovation process forever. It's been called insight, inspiration, brilliance, the spark, the muse, serendipity and many other things. Those who strive to understand the innovative process attempt to quantify and define it while those who benefit by it are happy to be blessed by its presence. Drawing from both with a pinch of understanding and a pinch of faith, intuition can become a more reliable resource which can be actively developed and incorporated into the innovation process.
Being a natural part of life, the intuitive process occurs in just about everyone, in just about every type of situation. It is our ability to know something directly, without analytic thinking. Alas, our culture is deeply biased toward analytic information which can be measured and verified. This leaves non-analytic data easily ignored or lost in the process and much wisdom is left under the table, never spoken or used. Ask anyone who has been part of an innovation team in a corporate setting about some of the things they "knew" but did not say because there was not enough data to back it up.
While analytic thinking is important and valuable, it is only one way of accessing information. Intuitive information is equally important and valuable and is accessed in a completely different way from analytic data. Analytic thinking works well with what is already known such as statistics and data based on the past. Intuition functions with little or no information and is especially adept at sensing future trends, assessing multiple factors, embracing positive change, and seeing the big picture. We've spent a tremendous amount of time and energy learning how to think analytically and little or no time learning to think intuitively. Since intuition can be trained and developed, it is high time that it receive serious attention and be incorporated into the decision-making and innovation process. A look at the principles within which intuition functions will provide insight as to how intuition can be trained and incorporated into the innovation process.
The Ways of Intuition:
Synchronistic: Intuition functions within the principle of synchronicity where each part reflects the whole. Within each part and moment of a process, solutions and next steps are available to those who know how to discern them. This includes meaning- ful coincidences, as well as the ability to pick one aspect of a situation and within it sense the solution to the whole problem. The ancient Chinese oracle, the I Ching, and the Nordic Runes function within this principle, as does any modern oracle. Flipping a coin is a very simple oracle based on the same principle.
Exercise: Keep a plate full of interesting and everyday objects collected from desks, toy stores, cleaned out closets, etc. At the beginning and end of a meeting, articulate a particular question that the team has been struggling with and have each team member pick an object randomly. Let each object be a message from the intuitive realm about how to proceed and what the solution might be.
Connected: Intuition functions on the wavelength where we are all connected. Just about every parent knows this principle. Sensing how a loved one is feeling whether close or far away is natural. We are all connected and we are connected not just to other people but to events and projects. In his autobiography, Conrad Hilton relates how he made a closed bid for the Stevens Corporation, his first hotel endeavor. The first bid he made was $165,000. But then that number did not feel right. Another number kept coming, $180,000. He changed his bid to the higher figure based on that hunch. When the bids were finally opened, the one closest to his was $179,800. He got the Stevens corporation for a narrow margin of $200. The profits eventually netted him over $2 million. On an intuitive level, Mr. Hilton connected to the Stevens Corporation and the other bids. With the help of his desire to win, he intuited the right amount to bid.
Exercise: To get on the wavelength where we are all connected requires quieting the analytic mind and giving room to the intuitive mind. Try instituting 1-5 minutes of silence for centering and focusing at the beginning of any team meeting
Cyclic: Intuition connects us to the large and small natural cycles to which every living process is subject. Every project, person, and event is in a state of expansion or contraction. Sensing where something is on the "S" curve of nurturing and growth is essential to success. Knowing when to take action is as important as knowing what action to take. A good sense of timing requires a large dose of intuition.
Exercise: To determine the timing of a new product release try the following, Have each team member imagine the product being introduced in 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years. Imagine an opening event which would take place and imagine customers using the product at the different times. Compare images, feelings and insights,
Available: We know much more than we think we do. Intuitively we can know the answer before we even know the question. Intuition does not require that we go outside of ourselves for an answer. Intuitive insight is available constantly. Thomas Edison knew intuitively there was a solution to the filament problem, he just didn't know what the solution was. It was his conviction about the solution which enabled him to continue looking.
Exercise: Write a question about a particular innovative need and place it in a sealed envelope. Place the envelope in the center of the table or room and without stating what is written in the envelop, ask each team member present to imagine something about that piece of paper, sharing feelings and images around the room. Record all reflections and then open the envelope and read the question. Discuss the relevance of any shared images and feelings.
Unpredictable: It cannot be predicted when an intuitive insight will occur. Be alert and open for intuition to occur at any time. Learning to recognize intuitive information and under- standing the language of intuition helps to keep the intuitive channel open.
Exercise: Encourage team members to keep a journal during a particular project. Ask them to write down their dreams, hunches, car thoughts, and feelings. Make sure that the journal is small enough to fit inside their pockets so that it can be taken anywhere.
Nancy Rosanoff is an intuition consultant and the author of Intuition Workout, the first "how to" book on intuition and is a columnist for Intuition Magazine. Nancy can be reached at 914-769-7226 or at 76212.735@compuserve.com