I was recently sitting in a team sales and marketing meeting, the conversation was diverging, when out of my mouth comes, “Create best practices on a scale we can handle, then multiply”. In other words, what are the methods and processes we can manage right now? Let’s do those the best we can now, practice them, improve them, and make them repeatable.

Then, we will grow best practices. We will apply to a larger scope of projects. We will be deliberate and mindful around our use of these tried and true methods and processes. Our best practices will be the foundation for future initiatives. As well, they will be a jumping-off point for new thinking, contextual thinking and continued development of our practices, to always be the best we can manage.

There are many thoughts on the pros and cons of best practices. Some believe that best practices keep businesses stuck in old ways, looking to others for guidance, using tactics inappropriate for the context, or leaving no room for innovation. This is where being deliberate and mindful in the use of best practices comes into play. Having an established foundation from which to start is essential, and allowing space in this established foundation for change and adaptation is ideal.

Mike Myatt, coined the phrase “next” practices in an effort to focus people of forward thinking. Let’s develop our own best practices (methods and processes appropriate for our industry, our collaborations, and our consumers) with deliberate and mindful practice, and then we can multiply our efforts. Expand our thinking about what might be our next practices. What are our next practices for the initiatives currently in smooth operation as well as next practices for future initiatives that we will apply our own best practices to as a foundation?

Would love to hear your thoughts on best practices in the comments below…

This article was written by Jill Grammer-Williams, Owner of American Name Services