There is no such thing as a “best practice”

Mike Rother writes in Toyota Kata that processes are an outcome of people’s thinking and behavior, not the other way around. This explains why just copying practices and techniques misses the point. It is not the practice which is important but the thinking behind it. A practice is always dependent on the context. What is best will vary with the context. This means that there is no such thing as a “best practice“.

See also Mike Myatt’s view on the topic: Best Practices – Aren’t. He says: “… I believe too much common management wisdom is not wise at all, but instead flawed knowledge based on a misunderstanding or misapplication of “best practices” that often constitutes poor, incomplete or outright obsolete thinking.” So again, labeling something as a best practice doesn’t substitute the need for thinking, understanding, and sound judgment.