|
"When I went to work for a
janitorial company [first as a consultant and later as a manager], I
can't say it was because of the attractiveness of that particular
industry," Lambert recalls. "I just had a feeling this was the place
for me." Karol Ward, a licensed psychotherapist
based in New York City, says flashes of insight like the one that led
Lambert into a successful yet unintentional career should be part of
every businessperson's decision-making process, especially now as the
economy continues to push many businesses into uncharted territory
where they can no longer rely on what were once tried-and-true business
practices. "If we can trust more that there's a scientific basis to
what we perceive, why not give that feeling a little bit of weight,"
she says. "Pay attention if feelings seem to appear out of the blue.
Literally, sit with it. See if you can see what it means before
discounting it." Ward, who is also the author of Find Your Inner Voice: Using Instinct and Intuition through the Body--Mind Connection
(Career Press; $14.99), likens the physical sensations or gut feelings
to a primal language that can communicate vital urgings and warnings if
we learn to listen to and interpret them. That was certainly the case
when Lambert went out on a limb to fill a key position at her company.
"It was an investment I didn't feel comfortable making, but I had an
intuitive feeling he was the right person for the job," she recalls. "I
had no guarantee it would pay off." But it did. Although 18 months passed before the new hire's efforts resulted in a contract, he stayed with Centennial One Inc. for 10 years and was instrumental in diversifying its client roster. The expansion saved the business from collapse. And
intuition can be refined over time. Lambert trusted her instincts when
hashing out a book contract. One of her first requests was to sit down
with her editor face-to-face. The 69-year-old explains: "You get a
reading of a person through eye contact, hand movements, physical
things." The collaboration was successful and her book, The Road to Someplace Better: from the Segregated South to Harvard Business School and Beyond (John Wiley; $25.95), will be released in January. But
remember, intuition enhances thoughtful decision-making; it doesn't
replace it. "In business, you can't rely strictly on intuition," urges
Lambert. "You have to deal with the facts of the situation too." Get
in the habit of asking yourself, "How do I feel?" Ward says. "Taking
our emotional temperature, our baseline mood, helps us notice when that
shifts or changes in a business situation." "When
you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed with information, push away
from the desk or step away from the situation," advises Lynn Robinson,
author of Trust Your Gut: How the Power of Intuition Can Grow Your Business
(Kaplan Publishing; $18). "Stop external stimuli and ask, 'What's right
for me to do right now?' Sometimes people will get an answer as a
voice, image, or physical sensation." "If
you're not sure and following your intuition is all new to you, take
small steps in the direction it's taking you," Robinson suggests. "If
it's a good decision, doors will start opening." |
