There is No Such Thing as Best Practices

Shocking, against the mainstream believes, but true.

It is a statement from Mike Myatt, the writer of The Problem with Best Practices, a knol I just stumbled on in Google Knol today.

In fact, I blogged about it on my new blog-magazine, Knol Today - and I think I want to share his and my view regarding the problem with best practices.

The following is what I found interesting with Mike’s insights on best practices.

Best practices are not always the best for your business

Mike state that best practices are only a collection of methodologies, processes, rules, concepts and theories that have previously achieved success. This previous success cannot be regarded as universal truth, which unfortunately, many business experts, consultants and coaches insist you the otherwise.

Many so-called experts develop a book, training or software products that ’solutionised’ the best practices in the form of methodologies, concepts, theories and all things above. I truly agree to what Mike explained, that once this best practices become productised, that when objectivity is removed from the equation.

I am not saying that those books, training or any products that focus and utilise on best practices are bad. Many of them are actually excellent products, that if implemented correctly will yield the expected results.

However, you must remember that business issues, although similar, is not the same from one business to another. Together with the fact that business world is ever-changing and dynamic, it would be wrong to take the best practices as they are.

Best practices make you change into ‘me-too’

Mike makes a point that keeps ringing inside my head for quite a long time today. He says, “Let’s examine this (business practice - ed) from another angle…Why would you want to do business in the same fashion as your competitors?”

Ring, ring…

This is, in my opinion, the biggest flaw of best practices. Instead of solving your business issues, best practices often make you a ‘me-too’ company.

Many consultants unbelievably stop at ‘learn and copy the best practices’ - Although it might work to some businesses, but it is certainly not the case to most. Moreover, I see companies send people to best practices seminars as a waste of valuable resources.

Instead, Mike recommends innovation and modification on the best practices that can create an advantage to your business.

Words of advice

Mike wrote in his knol that when all is said and done, there is no substitute for solid due diligence and sound business logic to tackle the context of the situation at hand.

I would like to add - the thing that has been successful for your business in the past, will eventually becoming more and more ineffective along the course of your business life cycle. You have to learn, copy and modify other best practices in order to stay competitive.

Ivan Widjaya
Knol reader

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