How Good is Your Gut… Really?

By: Tim Cynova // Published: December 9, 2024

The uncertainty of the last 4+ years and counting has had me reflecting on a slice of Daniel Kahneman’s work, specifically the three conditions he proposes for when we can trust our gut:

• We're in a predictable environment.
• We have regular practice with it.
• We get immediate feedback on your judgment.

Doing values-based org design work — or any work for that matter — during the pandemic seemed to call at least the first two of these conditions into question. Predictable environment? So you’ve lived through the uncertainty of a global pandemic before? Regular practice with it? And now your workplace policies, practices, and offerings need to be entirely redesigned for virtual work arrangements, overnight? As we’re about to enter another period of uncertainty, what from this recent period will still be relevant? And what and where do we need to recalibrate?

For me, the three prompts serve as decision making speed bumps; invitations to pause and (re)consider the accuracy of my approach. “I know that my gut says this is the way we should to do ___ (and maybe pre-pandemic that would’ve been accurate), but does that intuition still hold true?” And if not, what will be the data that provides me with immediate feedback on my approach?

𝗧his shows up everywhere in our organizations:

• H𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: Great at hiring for an onsite workplace? How about being great at hiring after a shift to remote work? Or with staff working hybrid arrangements?

• 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀: Does our in-person workplace approach still hold for a hybrid or virtual workplace? Does it support people in their growth and development?

• 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Does our intuition about what makes an “effective” leader reflect the knowledge, skills, and experience that's currently needed or that *will* be needed?

• 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀: What if our instinct about the importance of various voices around the table is miscalibrated?

• 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: Are the team bonding activities that were seemingly effective pre-pandemic still what’s needed? Are they supportive of everyone?

Each of these areas and more present opportunities to pause and reflect on whether our instincts are (still) aligned and supportive in the current context, or if recalibration might be required.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲d?

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Tim Cynova is an HR and org design consultant, an educator, and podcaster dedicated to dusting off workplaces to (re)center values-based approaches where more people can thrive. He is a certified Senior Professional in HR (SPHR), trained mediator, principal at WSS HR LABS, on faculty at New York’s The New School, Minneapolis College of Art & Design, and Hollyhock Leadership Institute. He has held executive leadership roles in a variety of nonprofits for the better part of the last 20 years, and is also an avid coffee drinker.