Best Practices…real or just a myth?
by John Ruh
- What do people really mean by best practices?
- How do you do decide what practices to introduce to your company?
- Do you know how to effectively implement new practices?
Question 1
What do people mean by best practices?
Best Practices according to Wikipedia is a management idea which asserts that there is a technique, method, process, activity, incentive or reward that is more effective at delivering a particular outcome than any other technique, method, process, etc. The idea is, that with proper processes, checks, and testing, a project can be rolled out and completed with fewer problems and unforeseen complications.
Question 2
How do you do decide what practices to introduce to your company?
Contrary to what any person might tell you, there is no such thing as one best practice that fits all businesses. Best practices must fit into your way of doing business (or what many people define as culture) or they won’t work. If you look at the Marines management program vs. Disney’s you can see they are at polar opposites. Yet both programs work well in the environment for which they are intended. So the point I am trying to make is that you first need to look at your vision, goals and values and see if a practice fits into your way of doing business before spending the time and money to implement it.
In addition, best practices must be a living, growing entity. Without continuous improvement they stagnate and die. No one practice works forever. For example for many years it was well known that the “best practice” for doing a high jump was the straddle. Dick Fosbury had trouble mastering the standard technique. Instead he began doing the high jump by approaching the bar with his back to it, doing a modified scissor-kick and going over the bar backwards and horizontal to the ground. As goofy as it looked, it worked. Dubbed the “Fosbury Flop” he caused a sensation when he won the gold medal in the 1968 Olympics, jumping a height of 7 ft 4 1/4 in. Without him making an improvement to a best practice, new high jump records would not have been set. The Fosbury Flop has since become a standard technique for high jumpers. But someday that may change. And those ideas that currently make up your best practices may also change.
Question 3
Do you know how to effectively implement new practices?
Recognizing new practices that can be successful is one thing, implementing them is another. You need to transform and modify best practices into Programs and Processes and you need a champion to get implement them. I call this the 3P approach. You need to have the right Program, Processes and Person. Doing this has to become part of your continuous improvement program. Here is the first step I suggest you use: Have a discussion of what problem the new practice is designed to solve and how it will impact the company. If you do this the right way, it will get your people to buy into the new idea. If you fail to get their buy-in, many people will only look at the problems a new practice will create for them rather than the problems it solves for the firm.
If you find this piece interesting and want to discuss it further, or would like me to facilitate a conversation with you and your leadership team about creating practical programs and processes, call or email me.