Best Practices Are Yesterday’s News: Welcome to Next Practices

Initially published on Forbes Dec 12, 2024

What’s the right answer?

What if there isn’t one and you need to create it? Or there is more than one and you need to select it? What if what you really should be asking is a different question?

From our earliest school years, we’re taught that success lies in finding the right answer. It’s an equation based on certainty: learn the right information, follow the correct process, and earn that coveted “A.” This approach not only rewarded us with grades but instilled a mindset that’s deeply ingrained. It trained us to believe that there’s always a correct answer waiting to be uncovered, whether in exams, personal achievements, or career paths.

As we transition from education to the workplace, this conditioning follows us. The “right answer” continues to define our paths, first as a knowledge base accumulated in our fields, then as our career tracks, and ultimately through organizational roles, responsibilities, and even industry-wide “best practices.” The idea was simple: do what others have found success in and replicate that approach. In this model, benchmarks became our safety net. Before making any change, we waited for an example, a proof of concept, to be set by someone else.

Inside organizations, the “right answer” paradigm translated into clearly defined roles and responsibilities, established processes, and concrete guidelines. Job descriptions were written to encompass fixed duties, skills were measured against industry standards, and “best practices” ruled the decision-making landscape. Benchmarking—comparing one’s strategies, processes, and outcomes against those of industry peers—served as a crucial form of validation. If we wanted to try something new, we looked first to see if anyone else had taken the leap.

Why “Right Answers” Are Holding Us Back

Today’s business environment is marked by rapid technological advances, evolving workforce expectations, and unpredictable market dynamics. In this landscape, sticking to “right answers” based on what has worked in the past can actually be a liability. The very idea of best practices is rooted in hindsight—lessons learned, mistakes fixed, and processes optimized based on what happened before. But the future of work requires foresight. It’s about anticipating new needs, exploring uncharted territories, and understanding that sometimes the most effective path forward may not even exist yet. We need to move away from static best practices and embrace “next practices”—a mindset that’s focused on exploration, adaptability, and innovation.

Consider, for example, the limitations of the four-day workweek. While often heralded as a hallmark of flexibility, it remains firmly rooted in the old paradigm of measuring work by the number of days or hours spent on the job. This approach reflects a “best practice” mindset that tweaks existing systems rather than reimagining them. What if, instead of focusing on how many days employees work, we asked how we should define and measure work in the first place? Or, what if we considered what individual employees need to feel they are integrating work into their lives in a way that serves both themselves and the organization? Reimagining work through these questions leads us directly into the possibilities of next practices—approaches that reframe success for both employees and organizations.

One of the biggest barriers organizations face when shifting from “best practices” to “next practices” is resistance—not just to change but to the unknown. Managers often find themselves defaulting to “no” when confronted with new ideas. It’s not because they don’t want innovation or progress, but because their automated reactions, shaped by years of adherence to best practices, kick in.

The phrase “This isn’t how we do things here” is the hallmark of resistance. It reflects an embedded fear of risk and ambiguity. However, this response is often more instinctual than intentional. Managers may not realize they’re saying no out of habit rather than logic. What if, instead of shutting down an idea, they paused before responding? What if they explored the possibility of saying yes?

Breaking Through Resistance: The Power of Yes

To foster a culture where “yes” becomes more common, organizations need to train managers to disrupt their automatic reactions. This requires cultivating self-awareness—understanding what Dr. Tamara Tilleman, a researcher and thought leader in human potential, calls “what we don’t know we know.” These ingrained habits often operate beneath conscious thought, shaping decisions and maintaining the status quo.

Organizations can shift the mindset by emphasizing flexibility within frameworks and creating a culture of experimentation. For example, adopting a “Yes, And” culture—inspired by improv—encourages managers to build on ideas rather than dismiss them outright. If a team member proposes a new workflow, the manager’s response could be, “Yes, and how can we adapt this for our unique challenges?” This openness fosters creativity and ownership within teams.

Decision pause points are another tool to encourage thoughtful responses. These moments give managers the opportunity to pause before instinctively saying ‘no,’ allowing them to reflect on automatic reactions and evaluate proposals on their own merits. Simple questions like, ‘What could we learn from trying this?’ or ‘Have I truly understood the idea?’ help create space for innovation.

Finally, flexibility within frameworks enables organizations to test new approaches without widespread disruption. Pilots—designed to fail fast or succeed spectacularly—offer a safe way to experiment. Recognizing teams who launch these trials, regardless of their outcomes, reinforces the value of trying, failing, and iterating. Such initiatives mitigate risk while uncovering unexpected successes.

Moving from “no” to “yes” is not just a tactical shift but a strategic one. It requires addressing the habits and mindsets that drive resistance, building systems for experimentation, and celebrating the lessons learned along the way. By cultivating intentionality and openness, organizations can thrive in a rapidly changing world.

The future of work belongs to those who are willing to explore, adapt, and innovate continuously. Success will not come from finding the “right” answer but from navigating uncertainty with resilience and creativity. By embracing next practices and saying yes to possibilities, organizations and individuals can co-create a future that’s both dynamic and purpose-driven.