(Robert Half International: Menlo Park, CA) -- Does intuition play a role in today’s workplace? According to a new OfficeTeam study, it can. In fact, 88 percent of administrative professionals surveyed recently said they often make decisions based on gut instinct. OfficeTeam has developed a research guide, Business Sense: Putting Your Intuition to Work, and quiz to help workers identify their intuition style. Both are available at www.officeteam.com/intuition.
The research guide contains data from a study developed by OfficeTeam and the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) that includes responses from more than 3,500 administrative professionals and 1,300 senior managers in the United States and Canada.
Eighty-eight percent of administrative professionals said they often make decisions based on gut instinct, and nearly all (97%) of support staff believe anticipating their managers’ needs is important to their career growth. Ninety-four percent of executives agree with that.
When asked about the most effective way to anticipate the needs of someone at work without directly asking him, 32 percent of administrative professionals said they use deductive reasoning (e.g., moving conflicting appointments when a supervisor’s meeting is rescheduled). One in four (25%) of those polled look for behavioral patterns when making decisions (e.g., printing out a flight boarding pass in advance for the boss because he is typically running late).
“By drawing on their powers of perception, professionals can often identify potential workplace dilemmas and address them before they become serious issues,” says OfficeTeam executive director Robert Hosking. “Any manager will tell you that having an assistant who anticipates her needs and offers solutions without being asked is virtually indispensable.”
OfficeTeam identifies five intuition styles and offers tips for maximizing each one at work:
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Intuition type |
Advice for this intuition style |
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Analysts make decisions based on careful research and past experience. |
Don’t discount your gut feelings. Combining your critical-thinking abilities with what your instincts tell you can be beneficial. |
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Observers depend most heavily on visual cues to guess what others may want without being told. |
Gather additional clues by going beyond what meets the eye. Talk to co-workers to get more information. |
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Questioners rely mainly on posing direct inquiries to determine their next move. |
Tune into nonverbal signals such as body language and facial expressions for additional insight. |
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Empathizers are able to identify with colleagues’ problems and help them find solutions. |
Be careful not to rely completely on emotions when making decisions. Back up your assumptions with research and analysis. |
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Adapters employ multiple intuition strategies, sometimes using their powers of observation while other times asking direct questions. |
Don’t expect co-workers to read your mind just because you’re good at anticipating the needs of others. Communicate with colleagues openly and often. |
To learn more about these intuition styles and put your abilities to the test, visit www.officeteam.com/intuition.
Founded in 1948, Robert Half International Inc. (RHI) is the world’s first and largest specialized staffing firm. RHI has consulting and staffing services offices worldwide including North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. RHI is the parent company of Protiviti, a global consulting and internal audit firm specializing in risk and business consulting and internal audits. OfficeTeam is a division of RHI and is headquartered in Menlo Park, California. OfficeTeam’s specialized staffing divisions place professionals in the finance and accounting, information technology, legal, administrative, and marketing and creative industries.
