At its heart, Quantitative Intuition™ (QI) is about striking a balance between relying solely on data and purely on gut feelings.
We argue that the most effective leaders unite data intelligence with their experience and intuition. This approach is designed to navigate the complexities of the modern world where decisions must often be made quickly and without all the desired information.
IWIK™, an acronym for "I Wish I Knew," and the IWIK™ Knowledge Framework refer to a thinking technique designed to effectively frame a problem by identifying the essential questions that need to be answered. By prompting a series of "I wish I knew..." statements, it helps to clarify priorities, uncover necessary information, and expose knowledge gaps to ensure a focused and efficient decision-making process.
In today’s AI world business business leaders need to move at a faster pace than ever. This data firehose—now amplified by machine speed — demands that leaders and their teams make hundreds of high-stakes business decisions under uncertainty. Yet, too often, the process often remains slow, inefficient, and suboptimal—particularly when human intuition clashes with machine-scale insights.
Quantitative Intuition™ (QI), the IWIK™ Knowledge Framework and other techniques in Decisions Over Decimals raise the power of thinking beyond big data without neglecting it to drive confident, accurate decision-making in the moments that matter.
Key Practices of Quantitative Intuition™ and IWIK™
To cultivate and apply Quantitative Intuition™ key practices include:
-
Precision Questioning: This involves framing a problem effectively to understand what you truly need to know. A core technique is the "I Wish I Knew" (IWIK™) framework, which helps to clarify the essential questions that need to be answered.
-
Contextual Analysis: Data without context can be misleading. Quantitative Intuition™ stresses the importance of understanding the circumstances and environment surrounding the data to interpret it correctly.
-
Synthesis: This is the ability to connect disparate pieces of information to form a coherent whole. It involves moving beyond just analyzing data to understanding its implications and translating those insights into actionable steps.
By developing these skills, leaders can avoid "analysis paralysis" — the state of over-analyzing a situation so that a decision is never made. Instead, they can make confident, agile decisions that are informed by both evidence and experience.
“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant.
We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”
- Albert Einstein
(per Bob Samples, 1976)