Pure Instinct:: Business' Untapped Resource

Uses case studies of "high achievers" to show how instincts can predict success in business and the consequences of being forced to act against instinct

Kolbe ( The Conative Connection ) has written a study that enriches and enhances our knowledge of a little understood but important managerial tool: instinct. Although instinct is eschewed by academics because it evades quantification and analysis, Kolbe maintains that "our best decisions and greatest sense of accomplishment come when we act on instinct." She crafts a matrix showing four types of instinct (probing, patterning, innovating and demonstrating) with the Kolbe Conative Index's (the "KCI") four "action modes": fact finder, follow through, quick start and implementor. Her theories and case studies on leadership, innovation, team building, customer service and training are persuasive, if weighted down by jargon. Kolbe's findings should appeal to human resources managers.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Kolbe builds on earlier work, which appeared in The Conative Connection: Uncovering the Link between Who You Are and How You Perform (1990). There she devised the Kolbe Conative Index used to measure instinct and predict achievement. Kolbe identifies four "striving" instincts: probing, patterning, innovating, and demonstrating. She argues that contemporary training ignores the possibility that there may be more than one correct solution to a problem, inhibiting "naturally inspired action" and "internal decision-making capacity." She uses case studies and anecdotal evidence to demonstrate how using instinctive talents leads to success; indeed, her "action modes," "operating zones," and many charts and graphs are the stuff of management retreats and day-long seminars. Recommended for larger business and psychology collections. David Rouse

Kolbe's previous book, Conative Connection ( LJ 2/15/90), established a method to identify the conative (action) elements of people. This new book is, in large part, a continuation of that work. Kolbe stresses the importance of an individual's instincts, which, she feels, are often neglected because of the emphasis on conformity in the workplace. Using case studies and numerous examples, she develops her concept to show readers how they can increase their "productivity, job satisfaction, and self-confidence by putting their instincts to work within the context of their skills, personalities, and desires." Kolbe is a good writer who presents her ideas clearly and persuasively. This work should prove popular in libraries with large business collections. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/93.
- Robert Logsdon, Indiana State Univ. Lib., Indianapolis
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.