Feb
8
“DR: “I am against the notion of ‘best practices’ because it implies that there is a single best way of doing anything. Embedded in the idea is the tacit assumption that following the ‘best practice’ always results in the ‘best outcome’. Since I have never met a really experienced manager who believed this was true, I am not sure I am really being very radical. I simply believe that all practices are ‘tools’ that are useful to achieve certain objectives in certain contexts. “For example, consider sequential development versus concurrent development. Neither can truly be called a best practice. A concurrent process is very well-suited to achieve development speed. A sequential process is generally better at minimizing risk and controlling development expenses. Each is ‘best’ to achieve a certain objective. The same is true for functional organizations versus teams. A functional organization is an excellent tool to keep development expenses low. Teams are well-suited for rapid development, especially when they are adequately manned. Again, neither is a universal best practice. “The great danger in labeling something a ‘best practice’ is that you cannot be against it. People stop thinking as soon as something is labeled as a ‘best’. Such mindless behavior is dangerous in a complex world. I am simply arguing for a more thoughtful approach to development process design.”
Interview with Don Reinertsen
