051: When to Rely on Intuition vs. Experience

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.

I mostly use my intuition for lots of decisions however sometimes it would be wiser for me to use a bit of past experiences.

So the question is when? :)

Example situation: Merging Teams

A medium-sized company faces the challenge of merging two departments: the marketing team and the communications team.

Goal: Enhance collaboration, streamline operations, and leverage synergies between the two teams to boost overall performance.

However, the merger presents several challenges, including cultural differences, role overlaps, and potential resistance from team members.

Using Experience

Analyzing Past Mergers

• Review outcomes of previous organizational changes.
• Focus on strategies that facilitate smooth transitions and effective integration methods.
• Identify and plan to address known challenges like aligning team cultures and clarifying roles.

Risk Management

• Use past experiences to identify potential risks with the merger.
• Anticipate resistance and implement strategies for managing it, such as a) Transparent communication. b) Early involvement of team members. c) Setting up a support system for feedback.

Using Intuition

Assessing Team Dynamics

• Rely on intuition to understand team members' feelings about the merger.
• Have informal conversations with apprehensive or resistant individuals to build trust and address concerns.

Adapting Strategies

• Stay responsive to the team's mood and feedback throughout the merger process.
• Use intuition to make real-time adjustments to the integration strategy, such as: a) Deciding when to push forward with changes. b) Recognizing when to slow down to keep teams engaged and supportive.

The key to navigating office scenarios like this one - team mergers lies in recognizing when to draw on the concrete knowledge that experience offers and when to trust the instinctual understanding that intuition provides.

How would you merge a team? Comments below.