intuition
August 29th, 2011Intuition is an easily misunderstood concept. Often dismissed as “woo woo” in the past, there is good evidence and a body of literature that now legitimizes intuition as an important executive and coaching skill. In fact the article cited below says that:
“intuitive intelligence” (Sadler-Smith and Shefy, 2010) … may sit comfortably alongside EI. (Emotional Intelligence)”
The study also acknowledges, “the importance of creating an organizational culture that values and nurtures intuition. This requires leaders to share their intuitive experiences and give weight to intuition alongside rational, process-driven analysis in organizational decision making.”
To find a coach who shows evidence of a strong competency in the area of intuition look for the following qualities, and to develop your own intuition consider the factors cited in this article:
. is self-confident and client-centred;
. gives themselves permission to access and use intuition;
. listens to their body;
. is mentally and physically prepared;
. is disciplined, focused and organised;
. is responsive to challenges in the moment;
. seeks permission from the client to use intuition;
. establishes and maintains rapport with the client;
. is unattached to their intuitions;
. is objective about their intuitions; and
. is courageous in their engagement with intuition.
From the article:
“As a profession (coaching) the more we are explicit about the use of intuition, the more we talk about it, the more we can benefit from it. Indeed the purpose of this paper is to contribute to the legitimatisation of intuition as a critical skill in coaching and employee development.”
So for both coaches and coaching clients, the development of intuition is an important task. I work with both coaches and my coaching clients to do just that.
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ref:
Teaching and learning intuition: Some implications for HRD and coaching practice
Penny Mavor Quintessenza Consulting and University of Surrey, Guildford, UK,
and
Eugene Sadler-Smith and David E. Gray
University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
