Intuition is a Part of the Process

Seth Godin posted about the differences between intuition and process, as they relate to business and personal innovation and improvement.  Taking each one in turn, he explores our acceptance and enthrallment with intuition.  We are infatuated with the person who never has to wonder what to do to perform well or to improve.  They just seem to know.  If we ask them to explain their choices, they would be hard pressed to provide explanations that we could understand.  He goes on to explain that although intuition has its place, it is process that provides us growth and improvement that is documentable, dependable, and repeatable.

I see intuition and process, however, as two parts of the same concept.  Each provides a different benefit, much like different instruments contribute to make beautiful music.  Another analogy would be they are like the human brain with intuition being the right, more creative half, and process being the left, more analytical half.  Put them together and a synergistic effect takes place that helps them perform better than the sum of their two halves.

Intuition provides the impetus of an idea.  It shows the possibilities that exist.  Being a personal attribute, the benefits accrue only to the person who has the intuition.  Process, with its procedures, analysis, experimentation, and documentation takes the idea, enhances the benefits, makes them available for everyone who follows the process, and makes them repeatable.

Intuition and process are simply two different components of the same thing:  Improvement. 

.Tags: Success