When “best practices” aren’t best
Originally published on LinkedIn on August 23, 2025
You’ve heard it before, probably this week:
“Here’s the best way to do this thing. No, I don’t know anything about you, your work, or your goals—but trust me, this is the way.”
We treat best practices like they’re universal laws. But they’re not. They’re usually just the best way within a specific practice, in a specific environment, for a specific problem. That doesn’t automatically make them the best way to solve your problem.
The limits of best practices
Best practices have their place. They can be a useful starting point. But they’re also:
Self-limiting: they keep us chasing each other around inside a tiny little box.
Context-blind: what works beautifully in one organization might be a disaster in another.
Static: they often freeze innovation instead of encouraging it.
And without critical thinking, “best practice” quickly turns into “we’ve always done it this way,” even when it doesn’t make sense for your organization.
In ethics and compliance, this is a real risk. If we blindly follow what others are doing, we may meet the letter of the requirement but completely miss the spirit—or the opportunity—to build something that actually works for our people.
A better way to think about “best”
The next time you hear someone drop a “best practice” into the conversation:
Listen. There’s often wisdom in what’s worked elsewhere.
Evaluate fit. Does it align with your risks, culture, resources, and goals?
Adapt—or improve. If it doesn’t fit, use it as a jumping-off point to create something better.
Why this matters in ethics and compliance
A “best practice” in one company’s Code of Conduct rollout might mean months of prep, leadership videos, and a launch event. For another, it might mean short, targeted campaigns over time. Both could be right—for their context. Neither is automatically right for yours.
When you stop chasing “best” and start chasing effective, you’ll find more creative, sustainable, and human-centered solutions.
Question for you: What’s a “best practice” you’ve ditched—or reshaped—to actually work in your organization?
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