Monday, April 16, 2007

"Rigor" can mean stiffness or intensity

We prefer the intensity definition. Intuit CEO Steve Bennett added nicely to our Six Sigma thread (without knowing it) when he used the word "rigor" to describe how his management skills - honed at GE - were applied at the Silicon Valley software maker. These comments come from the 4/16 WSJ.

In a Q&A, Bennett contends:
1. Customer-driven innovation wins consistently against technology-driven innovation.
2. Great companies have innovation and rigor; they are complementary, not in conflict.
3. Process is an enabler to achieve an outcome; it is not the desired outcome.

His point? A clear and process-driven approach to innovation makes it even more successful -- in the past few years Intuit has introduced more new products than ever in company history. What Bennett calls "strategic and operational rigor" makes it more feasible to execute on ideas that emerge.

After all, ideas without action are dreams . . . . What's on your to-do list for today?

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