Going with Your “Gut?”

During a recent discussion with the CEO of a client organization, the subject of whether to make a major staffing change came into focus. The conversation went on for quite a while. It became clear to me that the CEO knew what had to be done but was still going back and forth on whether to move forward with this action.

While there were valid reasons to want to be certain about this change and the results pointed firmly in that direction, there were other factors that gave the CEO pause. He asked my advice. My response: “Trust your instincts!”

There is much to be said in favor of establishing measures and metrics in running an organization. “What gets measured, gets done” and “you don’t get what you expect, you get what you inspect,” are popular sayings in defense of managing by “the numbers.” All true. But there is another side to effective decision making; a critically important side that is too often dismissed.

Making decisions that go beyond the data is commonly referred to as “trusting your gut.”  Another way of saying “trust your instincts.”

Over time, experience and accumulated knowledge combine to create a reservoir of information. This mental “data-store” when focused on a particular problem, opportunity, or obstacle often manifests itself in a hard to explain but fully felt sense of what constitutes the right decision.

Data analytics are increasingly a part of decision making, in sports and in business. They are essential ingredients; necessary but not sufficient. Data should inform decisions; they should not drive them. Judgement and accumulated wisdom, when combined with sound, accurate data provide the best chance for effective decisions.

So, gather the facts and analyze the data. Then go ahead and “trust your instincts.”

For more information on effective planning for better outcomes, contact me at joe@ajstratgy.com or visit my website at ajstrategy.com.