Editor's Column
Best Practices
by Kit Brown-Hoekstra
Best practices, when documented and shared, enable experts to share their experience and knowledge with more junior team members and facilitate consistency, not only within a team or company, but across industries.
However, best practices are not stagnant. As technology and understanding evolve, so do the best practices. There is a constant tension between what has been the best way to do things, and innovation that requires a new way of doing things.
It is, therefore, important to examine our current best practices and determine whether or not they are still the "best" way to do things.
Components of a Best Practice
"A best practice is a technique or methodology that, through experience and research, has proven to reliably lead to a desired result. A commitment to using the best practices in any field is a commitment to using all the knowledge and technology at one's disposal to ensure success. " (Whatis.com)
As the quote above suggests, best practices are derived from experience, and all best practices share the following characteristics:
- Repeatable. The process can be done the same way at different times and places, and produce reliable, quality results.
- Balanced. Best practices balance efficiency, cost, and quality to produce the best results within a given set of constraints.
- Measurable. The results of using best practices can be quantified in terms of improved quality, efficiency, efficacy, safety, etc.
- Timely. Best practices provide results when they are needed in the process.
- Integrated. When one best practice intersects with another, the resulting process is smooth and effective.
The purpose of a process or best practice is to facilitate the completion of a task. When the process begns dictating the work or when the process gets in the way of doing the work, then it's time to change the process.
Reviewing processes and best practices annually is a good way to ensure that you don't get stuck in "we've always done it that way" syndrome and to ensure that you are staying on top of advances in your field that might indicate new best practices. These reviews enable you to be proactive rather than reactive in your approach to implementing best practices.
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