I’m a process geek. You might safely assume, then, that I would be a fan of “best practices.” You would be very wrong. Best practices generally aren’t. Unlike the promised intent, there is usually more than one best way to proceed in a given situation. We ignore that at our peril.
I Am A Process Geek
A personal confession: my professional career has been dedicated to process. While I appreciate the value of process, I am also challenged by how it is often implemented. It’s easy to ask for everything. It’s a lot harder to focus on what is essential and valuable.
Dreams & Reality
“Why are we doing that?” It sounds like a simple question. It often has a very complex answer. Getting to the essence of why is important for project success, but how we usually think about projects often gets in the way. Reframing the questions to get the answers that we need.
Process Can’t Compensate For Culture
Process is appealing. It provides structure and guidance and rules and boundaries. The challenge is that organizations are messy and complex. Projects are difficult. They require work and adaptation. You can’t just take process from one place, apply it to another, and expect it to work properly. You need to do something else.
Best Practices Usually Aren’t
There are few terms that have the same unbridled acceptance in business as “best practices.” Except that, for many organizations, best practices fail to deliver on the theoretical promise implied by the term. Best implies one superior way of working, where in reality there are many practices dependent upon many different things.
Just What Are You Waiting For?
When we are faced with large and uncertain projects, we often become entirely overwhelmed. And the larger the project, the more creative our forms of procrastination. Strategies to tackle the most important problems of all.