now, no signup required!
Do you often find yourself saying, “I have a good feeling about this” or “This just doesn’t feel right?”
Quite often, right? Don't ignore your gut feeling.
When it comes to business decisions, many of us analyze reams of data and algorithms. But sometimes it's better to just go the old-fashioned way and trust your gut.
Trusting your gut involves a degree of uncertainty and doesn't always guarantee a positive outcome but going with your gut feels right.
Some examples of gut feeling include avoiding a deserted alleyway or turning down a perfect job, only to get your dream job later. These examples of gut feelings show that sometimes we make decisions instinctively and without a second opinion. A gut feeling is personal and no one can convince you otherwise. This is the power of trusting your gut—you make decisions because you feel strongly about going one way or the other.
What Is A Gut Feeling?
More often than we realize, we make decisions using a combination of logic and emotions. The meaning of gut feeling is rooted in trusting your gut or listening to your inner voice. We have the ability to develop gut instincts because we’re emotional beings. Therefore, we sometimes make decisions without thinking too much about it. The gut feeling is real and we use it more often than we realize.
Many people fear that their gut instincts will lead to bad outcomes. It’s because they trust rational thinking more than our emotional hunches. What they don’t realize is that every decision we make is based on our emotional needs. A gut feeling is a mix of spontaneous thinking and emotional reasoning. Trusting your gut can often lead to good outcomes, both personally and professionally.
Gut Feeling At Workplace
When you pay attention to your inner voice, you’re nurturing emotional intelligence. You’re literally acting on gut feeling and using it for successful decision-making. The more you self-evaluate, the more confident and self-aware you become. Workplaces look for employees who can trust their gut because it reflects emotional intelligence.
Here are a few ways of trusting your gut while making workplace decisions:
1. Pay Attention To Your Feelings
If there’s a new idea being discussed or if there are big changes being made at your organization, try understanding your feelings about it. For example, what’s your first reaction to a change in the organizational structure? If you have a contradictory perspective, convey your concerns to your managers or co-workers. Be proactive and communicate your gut instincts respectfully.
2. Write About Your Gut Instincts
If your gut feeling is strong and makes you feel that it can help achieve a necessary outcome, it’s best to write it down. If you put your gut instincts in writing, you can always go back to them and confirm your hunch. The more you’re aware of your intuitive accuracy, the more your self-confidence will increase. You’ll be motivated to follow your gut more often.
3. Sharing Is Caring
Sometimes talking about uncertain feelings helps reduce the mental burden. For example, ask your coworkers about their feelings before a meeting is about to begin. This will encourage them to express their hopes and fears. If you share similar gut feelings, then you’ll be able to enhance teamwork and make decisions collaboratively.
4. Brainstorming Ideas
Intuitive thinking is really useful for making breakthroughs. Organizations conduct brainstorming sessions as it helps employees share unfiltered ideas and thoughts. It also avoids over-analyzing and boosts creativity. Encourage your coworkers to share their thoughts freely in group discussions. Entertain ‘unpopular opinions’ and see how gut instincts guide decision-making processes.
5. Take A Break From Overthinking
Making decisions in the workplace isn't easy because they ultimately impact the business at large. In the process, people are often forced to mull over one decision for hours. Employees may end up over-thinking because they’re constantly rationalizing or justifying their decisions. Trusting your gut allows a little flexibility in thought processes.
Harappa Education’s Creating Solutions course is designed to help you keep an open mind while looking at various perspectives. If you have a gut feeling at your workplace, do your research before you communicate your ideas or decisions.
Conclusion
In businesses, we’re often taught to embrace our ‘practical side’ and lock away our ‘emotional side’. Sometimes, the most logical decisions may fail you and the most impractical idea may pleasantly surprise you. You should listen to your inner voice more often. Your gut feeling is your superpower!
Explore topics such as Problem Solving & the 5 Whys Analysis from our Harappa Diaries blog section and develop your skills.
