Bottom line 1: “Best practices” are to be learned from, NOT mimicked/treated as dogma. “Best practices” must ALWAYS be adapted to local conditions!
Bottom line 2: When pursuing “best practices,” DON’T “benchmark.” FUTUREMARK. Tomorrow’s stars are already out there. Find ’em!
Bottom line 3: DON’T benchmark. OTHERMARK. E.g., a tech company likely can adopt a WOW service practice from a local restaurant or car dealer.
Bottom line 4: Make benchmarking EVERYONE’s biz. Ask all to collect best practices from “everyday life.” Share WEEKLY.
Corporate governance: Healthcare’s service standard shouldn’t be other HC providers. It should be Zappos.
One of VA’s biggest breakthroughs apparently started with a nurse’s observation from local Burger King. (Use of barcoding.)
Adam Jacoby: “Examples of excellence are everywhere. The art is in customization & execution. Don’t settle for other’s best.”
But need not be grand! Can also learn a powerful tidbit from the corner store! (If eyes are always open.)
Lots of small biz owners are refugees from big business—trying to right “worst practices” they were muzzled by.
Corporate governance: Yes, and I discovered my corner shop owner was a PhD in economics and an MBA. Talked for full hour on service!
Sandy Maxey: “As currently used, benchmarking is a tool of self-reinforcing smug complacency—not about innovation.”
[Ed.: The above entry is another collection of tweets on one topic from Tom’s tweetstream. It’s included in the latest (01.07.14) Some (Really) (Important) Stuff PDF he’s been updating regularly. Our thanks to all his fellow Twitter denizens who’ve contributed to the conversation and, thus, the document.]