This research explored if relevant experience and intuition were drivers of success for individual innovation decision-makers. Through field interviews and surveys, I’ve been able to surface anecdotal evidence that speaks to the links between experience, intuition, and innovation, under a practitioner-focused lens. My hope is this study can help practitioners and academics alike to better understand individual competencies and judgment under uncertainty as it emerges.

1. INTUITION +
Innovation

2. WHEN WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
INNOVATION
INDUSTRY-LEVEL
ORG-LEVEL
INDIVIDUAL-LEVEL

3. INNOVATION DEFINITION
Innovation is the result of ideas (concepts) being converted into something tangible
(invention) that creates exchanges of value (commercial / societal benefits).

4. INNOVATION SUCCESS
To what degree did your concept match
a market or user need with
what your organization / team could deliver.

5. Definition of innovation success for
purposes of this research study
Figure 3: Definition of Innovation Success in the Context of "Factors Affecting
Success of Product Development Projects" Adapted from Eisenhardt, 1995

6. INNOVATION DECISIONS AND ROLES
Figure 2: Focus of Innovation Decisions in the Context of "Fuzzy Front-End Information Flow and
Decision-Making Process" Adapted from Reid, 2004

7. INSTINCT
INSIGHT
HEURISTICS
INTUITION

8. INTUITION DEFINITION
Intuition is a process of rapidly recognizing things without knowing how we do the
recognizing, which results in affectively charged judgements.

9. WHAT IS
‘AFFECTIVE
CHARGE’?
Emotional, Sensory, Somatic
Hair standing on the back of your neck
Gut Feeling
‘Aha’ Sensation
‘Lightbulb’ moments
Sense of relief, lightness, heaviness
Weight on your shoulders
The ‘knowing’

10. Figure 1 Assumption of Decision Situations Participants Will Describe in Context
of Gary Klein's "recognition-primed decision model” 1998

11. Assumption is front-end innovation
decision-makers will primarily be faced
with non-typical situations for which non-
typical courses of action must be taken.
Figure 1 Assumption of Decision Situations Participants Will Describe in Context
of Gary Klein's "recognition-primed decision model” 1998

12. RELEVANT EXPERIENCE?
DOMAIN-RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
CURSORY EXPERIENCE
GENERAL EXPERIENCE

13. INSIGHTS

14. The use of intuition is a
dance with rational process,
not the exclusion of it

15. Using intuition can feel risky
or uncomfortable

16. Using intuition is like “putting
together a potpourri of
experiences into one
process”

17. Intuition was as important for
choosing where to and
where not to go

18. Intuitive process in an
individual can isolate or
activate teams

19. Intuition shows up in groups
and can work for and against
innovative ideas

20. IMPLICATIONS FOR
PRACTITIONERS

21. Dismantle the bias against
intuition

22. Establish norms for how we talk
about and externalize intuitive
sense

23. Creating appropriate spaces for
intuition

24. Working on the inner game of
trusting one’s gut