"people make better decisions by going with their gut if the situation is complex"

How about if the situation is complex and requiring a very fast decision? Is the same true. Or are stories a means of slowing down decision making around a certain pattern to examine the our intuition and assumptions?

What is the role of story in challenging our intuition?

Shawn, I figure and your team at Anecdote are the best ones to ask.

Thanks for all your posting!

same question as Michael Wagner...

Would you not think that has something to do with the environment one lives in? e.g political atmosphere, cultures, just name a few??

Hi Michael and Cindy, sorry for the slow response, Mark and I have been in Hong Kong and Singapore for the last week on a hectic schedule.

Gary Klein's work with firefighters, nurses, and miltary personnel shows that gut instinct is best for very fast decisions in crisis situations. In fact you have little choice. That is why experience is so important.

So the question is how you develop that experience. This first option is to be presented with real life situations (on the job training). This is the best way if it doesn't kill you while you are learning. The second best approach is to hear the stories of others who have has experience. Gary Klein takes this a step further and creates decision scenarios (a type of story) as a way to systematically develop intuition.

I don't think stories act as a way to slow down the decision making process because under pressure to act people don't have time to retell stories in a way the audience can digest them. In a condusive environment, however, stories can help people learn about the messiness and uncertainty that exists and pick up broad principles for action. It also helps people remember what they know.