Is Best Practice the enemy of Innovation?
We have all heard of Best Practice. Those proven methods that have been shown to lead to success in a particular field or situation. Within most industries, including social housing, they are crucial to keeping businesses organized and functioning to a successful and high standard. No one is ever going to discredit the advantages of best practice because it shapes entire industries however, within the realms of innovation, best practice has to ability to kill it completely.
Many businesses become reliant on best practice as it is something all other businesses like them are doing and why fix something if it isn't broken, right? However, when it comes to finally trying to move with the times or take advantage of unexpected opportunities it leads to an understandable fear of the unknown as no business likes to feel like they are in uncharted waters. Uncertainty within business is hugely frowned upon as it has connotations of financial instability, being disorganized and wasting valuable time and resources. But, in doing so many businesses plateau and become too comfortable with their current position as it is deemed safe and effective. The tick boxes of best practice are some people’s preference and in a way it can be cathartic to know that your business meets all industry standards, but sometimes a business's inability to explore alternatives means they end up blundering chances to becoming leaders themselves. The truth is; Rome was not built in a day and neither were the best practices that many hold in such high regard.
For an industry to develop best practice it requires a certain amount of trial and error. Someone, somewhere down the line goes against the grain and finds something that works leading to everyone following suit. Humans naturally look for short cuts which is half of where all innovation comes from and once one person perfects a process it creates a whole new avenue for many others to explore. However, true innovation is usually goal orientated which is where it differs so much from best practice. Best practice is more like a logical algorithm in the sense that it has no creative aspect to it. It isn’t trying to solve a problem; it’s trying to prevent one from occurring. But ultimately problems are always going to exist or crop up over time, big and small, so what may solve all the issues now may not be the case in 10 years' time. The point is, best practices are adapted through innovation, therefore you cannot have one without the other.
There are many examples throughout the history of modern businesses where this hasn’t happened, being blind sighted to their current successes and not anticipating change. Take Kodak for example, they didn’t anticipate or simply ignored the rise of digital photography over time which led to the quick downfall of their once highly successful role in the film photography world. This is an example of disruption, where something unexpected completely changes the direction of an industry. Some may argue that based on best practice and the history of photography up to that point, Kodak had no way of knowing their technology would become obsolete, however, by innovating they could have either kept film photography more alive or transitioned into a space where they catered to both analog and digital media quicker to suit the trend.
It’s hard to wrap your head around the fact that the future is uncertain for all businesses. Yes some may be safer than others as certain industries never decrease in value such as healthcare, housing and retail, however things are always changing. By including innovation in your businesses plan, the same way you would financial projections and customer reviews, you can significantly lessen the burden of change when it is needed, no matter if it is months, years or even decades ahead of where you are now.
There is also the opposite end of the spectrum of what we would consider forced innovation. Forcing innovation doesn’t necessarily mean that you are changing all the time, but instead constantly testing or piloting new things and considering all options even if you think it’s not a good idea. This breaks the pattern of disliking how an idea makes you feel rather than what it will objectively do for you. You may find changing a process scary as you like the way it is, but if you entertain changing it you may find things you hadn’t previously noticed that may make it more valuable than you first thought. The mantra behind it is to never settle and think of your best practice like a weather forecast. By adhering to best practice, you can predict sun most days as you are using industry standards to remain at optimal performance, but you know it will rain (change) eventually. Forced innovation teaches you to think of what direction the rain will come in, how long it will last, whether it will be heavy or light showers and most importantly, how you will stay dry. By forcing yourself to always look for and test defenses against changing weather, nothing will shock you anymore and you will always have an answer to any question or situation.
In conclusion, best practice and innovation are not enemies but two sides of the same coin. Best practices are the foundation upon which innovation builds.
The key is finding a balance. Businesses need to:
Embrace best practices: They provide a strong foundation for success and minimize risk.
Incorporate innovation: Regularly test and explore new ideas to stay ahead of the curve.
Prepare for change: Be adaptable and willing to adjust best practices when necessary.
By clinging to outdated best practices and failing to innovate, there is always the potential to miss a revolutionary opportunity. The future is uncertain, but by adopting a culture of continuous improvement, businesses can leverage both best practices and innovation to navigate change and thrive in the long run.
Think of best practices as your map, and innovation as your compass. Both are essential tools for navigating the ever-changing business landscape.