There are a couple of approaches to building an intelligence team. Once again, there’s no right way, no wrong way, there are just perspectives. Even though we draw on technological aids and inputs, at the end of the day, ultimately, it’s the human brain that organizes and interprets data to generate assessments.

So, strengthening the human brain, in a disciplined way that maximizes the utility of the technology that enables us to do our job, makes complete and total sense. They are not in opposition or competition with each other. They are complimentary. But it’s humans that drive the train. Technology is our tool. We are not its tool.

So, here’s the thing about intelligence: it involves cognitive and social processes. Analysis is a cognitive activity by nature. It’s a system of heuristics and conclusions. That’s the lesson we’ll be discussing today as we continue our studies in Domain 14, “Considerations for Creating an Intelligence Team.”