Adding Intuition to Your Tool Box
In business, there are many ways to make decisions, and they each have their place. One method I believe has been underused is intuition. Like many people, I was taught to do my due diligence, especially when faced with a major decision. I learned to gather facts and figures, do forecasts, and comparative analyses, and maybe even come up with Pro and Con lists for each option. Seldom does something as unquantifiable as trusting your gut make the cut. But maybe it should.
By the time I reached adulthood, I’d gathered a wealth of information; some useful, some seemingly not. I think I’ve learned as much or more from the things that didn’t work, than from those that did. As such, I know instinctively if something is unlikely to generate the desired results, unless someone else can show me how to use what I’ve learned in a new way. As such, I’m not suggesting someone blindly follow their gut reaction when it says “this will never work” without looking at why they feel it won’t work. What doesn’t work under a certain set of conditions might actually be a formula for success when a factor or two is changed.
Sometimes, intuition is just the spark that’ll get over the part where it didn’t work and find the tweak that makes it the best possible option. Because intuition isn’t locked into tangible facts and figures, it yields more opportunities to look at a problem or goal from different angles, often finding a solution that’s far better than expected.
Thinking Outside the Box
One of my favorite problem solving methods is brainstorming. Every possible solution is considered viable until proven otherwise by both experience and provable facts. Even the most outlandish are put on the table, as those are often the ones which yield a solution no one could possibly calculate, as it means what is commonly called “thinking outside the box”. In my opinion, the box is the worst place to stay, especially when you’re trying to be competitive, as there’s no innovation in a tried and true routine.
I’ve always found the words “that’s the way we’ve always done it” to be not only suspect, but a red flag. It usually means I’m dealing with someone who’d rather slog along in a rut than break free and try something new, different, and with the potential to dramatically increase rewards. It’s unlikely I’ll be able to look at things from a different angle, because their mind is wired fro a simple, unchanging formula. As I’ve seen it with business owners on several occasions, I’m baffled by their ability to continue thriving. The only answer I have is they can be convinced to try new things if they’re presented by someone they know, like, and trust.
Funny how even decision making can come down to the same formula used by business owners to attract new clients. The nature of a relationship clearly continues long after that trust is built. Is it the wisdom of the change averse business owner in choosing someone who can gently lead them into innovation, or is it the talents and abilities of the trusted advisor?
Intuition and Client Attraction
For the advisor, the first few decisions might feel like an uphill battle, but the time spent 
building the foundation of the relationship before actually engaging may be the oil that greases the wheels of change. For me, I think I’d probably have passed on the challenge, seeing it as more of a hill than I wanted to climb. Some see it as an obstacle to be conquered, and readily take it on. Of the ones I’ve encountered, I might not agree with their methods or agendas, but I have to respect their tenacity in taking on what to me seemed like an immovable object.
I can also see where they used their own intuition to determine whether the challenge would be worth it over the long term, as they likely knew short-term gains would be few. There would be a long period when they had to lay the groundwork so their client or associate would trust them when the time came to exert the influence they’d carefully erected.
What I’ve circled around to unintentionally is how much intuition plays a part in choosing clients, as much as it does any other business decision. Your gut, experience, and a host of other factors will tell you whether a client is going to be easy or hard to work with, and of course, whether they’re going to be worth it to you, financially, professionally, and perhaps even personally.
Learning to Trust Your Intuition in all Aspects of Business
I don’t know too many business owners who haven’t at one time or another terminated a relationship because it was no longer yielding the desired results. Many struggle with cutting a client loose who’s been providing a large percentage of their income, but who takes up ten times the hours, and creates 100 times the aggravation of any other client. It’s a hard decision to make, but engaging intuition can tell you you’ll be able to replace that client with 3 or 4 better ones who will generate more income in less time, and with less stress.
Sometimes it means doing a little cost-benefit analysis in your head. Is the struggle and aggravation part of the usual learning curve, or is the client destined to be difficult forever? You might also consider whether the fee you’re charging is enough to make up for the extra work and hand-holding. There’ve been a couple who took up so much of my time that my flat rate worked out to considerably less than minimum wage. While I’d have liked to continue earning the income, I knew there were much better uses for my time, even if they weren’t initially income generating.
All in all, trusting your intuition can be scary at first. If you’re like many people, you’re not used to trusting yourself that much; you function better with cold, hard facts. But once you have a few successes under your belt, or realize how often it’s steered you in the right direction, you’ll not only listen to your intuition more often, but find it becomes easier to engage when you need it.
About the Author
Sheri Conaway is a Holistic Ghostwriter, and an advocate for cats and mental health. Sheri 
believes in the Laws of Attraction, but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. Her mission is to Make Vulnerable Beautiful and help entrepreneurs touch the souls of their readers and clients so they can increase their impact and their income.
If you’d like to have her write for you, please visit her Hire Me page for more information. You can also find her on Facebook Sheri Levenstein-Conaway Author. And check out her new group, Putting Your Whole Heart Forward.
Be sure to watch this space for news of the upcoming releases of ” Rebuilding After Suicide” and “Sasha’s Journey”.
