---
id: "quote-standardization-vs-variance"
type: "quote"
source_timestamps: ["§ How Can Organizations Pick the Best Gen AI Projects?", "1. Fund the responsible rebels."]
tags: ["management-theory", "innovation"]
related: ["contrarian-productive-variance", "concept-responsible-rebels"]
speaker: "Tom Davenport and John J. Sviokla"
speakers: ["Tom Davenport", "John J. Sviokla"]
quote: "The heart of operational excellence is standardization, the heart of innovation is productive variance."
sources: ["spine"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-spine"
originDay: 1
articleStem: "hbr-cl-95-6-disciplines-genai"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2024/07/the-6-disciplines-companies-need-to-get-the-most-out-of-gen-ai"
sourceTitle: "The 6 Disciplines Companies Need to Get the Most Out of Gen AI"
---
# Standardization vs. Variance

> "The heart of operational excellence is standardization, the heart of innovation is productive variance."
> — [[entity-tom-davenport]] and [[entity-john-j-sviokla]]

A fundamental contrast between the goals of operational management and the requirements for innovation. It anchors the contrarian insight [[contrarian-productive-variance]] and justifies funding [[concept-responsible-rebels]].