Something that I see frequently in requirements documents and requests for proposals is the term “best practice”. It’s become one of those catch phrases, thrown in for good measure. What does it really mean, and is “best practice” the best option?
It might be best to start by explaining what “best practice” actually means. Generally, it’s taken to mean a technique, method or practice which has proven itself effective over time, and has been adopted as a benchmark. For me the key element in that is that the practice has proven itself effective over a period of time. Unfortunately, a large number of “best practices” have been only marginally effective, if they’ve been proven effective at all.
So, if we take out the questionable best practices and focus only on those which have been consistently proven, what happens? Well, effective practices are great, but the problem is integration. What suits one organisation doesn’t necessarily suit another. Work processes differ, as do culture and environment. This means that what has been proven effective elsewhere may be a burden within your organisation.
Best practices aren’t all bad, though. The availability of proven techniques in any given industry is a fantastic benefit. The key is to avoid using best practices as a method to eliminate thinking about work is structured. Forcing best practices upon your organisation without fully considering the impact will have negative results. Instead, pick and choose the practices that suit your organisation the best.
I have to agree with your points. As a life long consultant in the technology industry I’ll throw in another wrinkle as well: The constant change/advancement of technology. A “best practice” of a few years ago may now be totally out of date. By the time something has the longevity of proving itself to be a “best practice” it may have in fact been innovated out of use/need.
So very true Joel. Technology makes the whole “best practice” thing even more difficult to use correctly. Thanks for your comment!
In my last job in the corporate world was for a global direct sales company and the only training provided was cookie cutter “best practices” which, as it turned out, had very little to do what actually happened out in the field for this particular job. Not a fun experience — but the memory inspires me to do far better.