The Skill We Need Most Right Now and Were Never Taught
Are you a hiring manager who feels like candidates or employees are missing the ability to self-manage or take initiative? Or, are you finding employees overwhelmed and not sure how to prioritize tasks?
Would you prefer for it to look like this? Employees trust their instincts and intuitively connect with the needs of clients. They look at a busy workload, take a step back, and sense which project needs attention first. They hold healthy boundaries. They ask for what they need more than they complain.
As I coach remote managers through the challenges of remote culture, I have observed that there is one skill that we are rarely taught and is key to helping us be more resilient, confident, and grounded individuals. It is rarely talked about and the value of it is often questioned in American society. I would argue the Millennial generation's anxiety rates and need for regular affirmation reflect the absence of this skill. Why is this skill more important now than ever? Because we live in a world of over choice and information overload. Our brains are constantly being fed information and choices, which makes decision-making and trusting ourselves difficult. Psychologist Barry Schwartz calls it the Paradox of Choice. And, we are working from home, by ourselves, swimming in our own thoughts, which dulls the development of this skill. Here are some examples:
Shopping: You have decided you need orange juice. You go to the store and are presented with 15 types of orange juice. Pulp free, extra calcium, extra pulp, pineapple orange, mango orange and so on. Now, you second guess yourself. What kind of orange juice do I want? You are now making a new decision you did not plan on making.
At Work: You are overwhelmed with projects at work and become paralyzed. Where do I start? You start one project and get pulled away by 1, then 2, then 3 emails. You lose track of where you were and are now no further ahead than you were an hour ago.
Politics: You read the news and see a story about a new healthcare reform that could reduce medical costs. Later that day, the same story comes up, but this same healthcare reform is presented as a threat to businesses. Information is coming at you from multiple directions with different “truths” being presented. Now, you are not sure what you believe.
What skill is most valuable this complex world of information overload? It is the skill of Intuition.
According the Oxford Dictionary, Intuition is: The ability to understand something immediately, without conscious reasoning. Now I love measurement and quantification as much as the next woman, but the extreme value our Western society puts on it has undermined the value of our own inner knowing. And ironically, many of the most successful entrepreneurs and investors have used their intuition to get where they are today.
Were you ever taught this skill in school? I know I was not. Quite the opposite. I needed to justify my answers with evidence and references. And many times, I have looked back on opportunities and said to myself, “I should have gone with my gut”. I have successfully predicted industry trends, steered clear of people who I felt I could not trust, and have made instant connections with strangers that turned out to be exactly who I needed to meet. I have also suffered from paralyzing indecision because my mind and my intuition are often at odds with each other and usually, my mind wins.
How do we build our intuition? We all have it. The real skill is in listening to it and then acting upon it. The more we listen, the easier it is to hear.
This blog originally appeared here; it has been shared with the Nexus community here with the author’s permission. Click here to read the rest of the blog.
Sara Emhof helps organizations and schools increase engagement by building cultures of trust, purpose, and belonging. She offers brain-based teambuilding programs, executive coaching, and talent development. She is also the Chief Experience Officer at The Huddle, which offers onsite teambuilding and private events in Newport, RI. Learn more at saraemhof.com and thehuddleri.com.