Intuition: Do you trust it?

*This article was written by Debra Farrelly, one of our Conflict Leadership Program members, after our June group sessions focused on this topic.

For conflict practitioners, intuition seems to play a pivotal role in understanding and addressing the unspoken needs and underlying issues that arise in challenging conflict situations.  But how reliable is your intuition, and to what extent should you trust it?  Let’s explore some instances of practitioners using intuition in mediation and questioning how it can be harnessed to enhance the practice of navigating conflict.

What is intuition?

Intuition is widely researched in fields of science, psychology, education, mathematics as well as art and sports (noting this is not a definitive list).  Intuition is commonly defined as a gut feeling, a sense of knowing or your brain’s way of processing information at a very rapid speed.  A research based definition takes these ideas one step further by identifying intuition as “being the capability to act or decide appropriately without deliberately and consciously balancing alternatives, and without following a certain rule or routine, and, possibly, without awareness” (Harteis et al., 2008, Hogarth, 2005, Kahneman and Klein, 2009) (in Harteis & Billett, 2013, p. 146).  Think of examples of when people have had an insight or an idea into a situation that was effective and yet they are unable to explain why or how they came to have that insight.  This “not knowing where the idea came from” or notion of a solution “from left field” is significant especially when circumstances are so complex that the response cannot be traced solely back to an individual’s training or practice.

As practitioners, we are already using intuition

Time and again, practitioners can cite examples of when intuition has proven to be effective when dealing with conflict.  It may be that they sense underlying issues with clients, even when these aren’t explicitly mentioned.  This subtle awareness often stems from a combination of empathy and careful observation, where empathetic individuals subconsciously pick up on cues from others.  Changes in a client’s tone of voice can be particularly telling, providing insights into what someone might be experiencing at a given moment.  As a practitioner, being fully present and deeply listening to people also seems to enhance these intuitive flashes, revealing the unspoken needs of clients.

Interestingly, intuition doesn’t always arise from focused attention.  Sometimes, insights appear randomly when individuals are not actively engaged in a situation.  For example, when a family member calls in distress, there can be a sense that a request for financial assistance will follow in the coming weeks.  Such moments reveal the unpredictable nature of intuition and its role in anticipating future conflicts or needs.  Additionally, intuition plays a critical role in practice with clients.  Knowing when to remain silent and let the silence do the talking, or recognizing underlying issues when clients are being overtly critical or rude, can transform the dynamics of the discussion and lead to resolutions.

Moreover, intuition can help pinpoint what is missing from people’s stories.  Listening intently allows for identifying the core issues that are not being verbally expressed.  Conversely, there are times when the sense of something being off is strong, but the exact issue remains elusive.  In such cases, the feeling that something important is not being communicated or that behaviours are inconsistent can still guide your approach to a conflict situation, even if the specifics are not immediately clear.

Intuition and expertise

Intuition in conflict resolution is often strengthened by a combination of experience, training, and an understanding of broader patterns and themes.  For instance, a novice mediator may not think anything is amiss with a mediation that goes too smoothly.  Whereas for a mediator with expertise, the apparent smoothness might trigger an uncomfortable feeling that something is amiss.  This feeling, based on past experiences and the mediator’s perceptive skills, can lead to further investigation. As one case revealed, the client’s apparent compliance masked deeper issues that only came to light upon follow-up.  This example illustrates how intuition, informed by knowledge, experience and expertise, can uncover hidden truths and ensure that conflicts are genuinely resolved rather than superficially settled.

Also, the effectiveness of intuition in mediation is not solely dependent on professional training but also on the personal qualities of the mediator, such as compassion and empathy.  Your ability to connect on a human level often allows you to sense when something is not quite right, even if you cannot immediately identify the issue.  This intuitive wisdom may come from both formal education and personal experiences.  Specific training in areas like mental health and domestic violence further sharpens this intuition, making you more aware of the subtle dynamics at play in conflict situations.

Importance of trusting your gut

As practitioners, trusting your intuition is crucial because it often proves to be a reliable guide in navigating complex situations.  Over time, acting on your intuition and seeing positive outcomes reinforces your confidence in this inner sense.  When alarm bells go off and you heed them, things tend to turn out better than when you ignore these signals.  It’s not that intuition fails us; rather, it is when you disregard it that problems arise.  Reflective practice may well be the key to honing your ability to trust your gut feelings, making your intuition incredibly dependable in professional practice.

However, intuition is not infallible, and its reliability can be situational. There are moments when we absolutely trust our gut, while at other times, we may feel less certain.  Asking questions that lead to unexpected responses does not necessarily mean your intuition was wrong; it may simply have opened a different line of conversation that proves valuable.  Even when your intuitive judgements result in adverse reactions, these moments can teach important lessons, despite the discomfort they might bring.

Sometimes too, the situations you are confronted with are so far from anything you imagine to be logical or rational that trusting your intuition often feels like the only viable option.  So, as practitioners we should work to become more aware of, develop and trust your intuition to help navigate conflicts more effectively.

References

Harteis, C., & Billett, S. (2013). Intuitive expertise: Theories and empirical evidence. Educational Research Review, 9, 145-157. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2013.02.001

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