Using gut feelings to influence decisions could improve IT
directors' standing with board-level executives, says Robina
Chatham, a consultant and lecturer at
Cranfield School of
Management.
Speaking to Computer Weekly, Chatham said, "IT is so wrapped up
with standards, procedures, controls and methodologies, and we are
so scared in terms of security breaches, that IT is attracting
people who are increasingly risk-averse."
Chatham has conducted research which found that people who
typically work in IT are introverts who are likely to rely on
evidence and logic for all their decisions. Gut feelings tend to be
a fairly alien concept, she said.
Greg Harris, sales director at
Global Resourcing,
a recruitment company specialising in the financial services
sector, said organisations were increasingly looking for broader
management skills and the ability to engage effectively with the
business. "The terms we see more these days in job specifications
are 'strategic thinking', which usually means a level of intuition
and gut instinct," he said.
Chatham added, "For IT people, a decision is all about logic and
analysis, and therefore there is a right answer. But that does not
guarantee it will be done, or is the best way to get it done."