The Power Of Education

The Kid's sister, when a precocious four-year old, sat playing on the floor as the rest of us watched The Ohio State University's football team embarrass the Michigan Wolverines.  As the Buckeyes huddled before the next play she looked up and observed, "I think they're planning something."  Pretty astute to deduce - at the age of four - the core of a situation from a brief glance.

What happens, I wonder, to the level of pure and uninformed insight that so many children seem to come fully equipped with?  Do we educate it out of them in traditional approaches to "official" education?  Is tuition the cost of killing intuition?

I don't know, but I do know that a fanatic devotion to facts and data alone represents a loss, and incomplete view of any situation.  I would never recommend, though, that we all make decsisions only by the seats of our pants. 

 But, informing data with intuition, and using intuitive skills when there are not enough facts available for complete assurance seem to be the right approaches for more nuanced, robust, and creative tactics and strategies in supply chain - and general business - applications.

Can we regain lost skills in insight and grasps on intuitive concepts?  Science and experience say "yes", but there's hard work and practice, practice, practice involved.  Is everyone hard-wired to be able to do so?  Sadly, no.  But those who aren't can be persuaded to listen to those who are.