Intuition

Gary Klein, a cognitive psychologist, spent a decade watching fire commanders, fighter pilots, paramedics and others making split-second decisions on the job. His book, Sources of Power: How People Make Decisions, published by MIT Press in 1998, gives an account of his findings. His studies indicate that when the stakes are high and the circumstances complex, people rely on intuition. Intuition is the process by which people subconsciously draw on prior experience to identify patterns that suggest a good answer. The resulting decisions are often remarkably good.

Examples: A neonatal nurse starts emergency procedures when a baby's color doesn't seem right.
A fire commander withdraws his crew when he senses danger seconds before the ceiling collapses.

In such high stake and complex situations, people decide less through analysis than synthesis. They rely on analogies instead of algorithms, metaphors more than methodologies. When they attempt to share their expertise, informal storytelling proves more effective than formal teaching.