Does "best practice" stifle innovation? Does it weaken our critical thinking skills, reducing us to followers or members of a herd mentality, no longer thinking independently or examining our own circumstances? If so, how can we avoid these negative effects? Feel free to share your views.

Background: I have heard countless times the statement—"Other companies (in our industry) do it this way." Is this statement a typical manifestation of the rigid thinking of "best practices"? When we treat external practices as the gold standard, does it mean we have given up on exploring what suits our specific circumstances?

The term "best practice" itself implies a presupposition: that there exists a one-size-fits-all solution. However, in reality, organizational environments, resource endowments, and market stages vary widely, and blindly applying such practices may backfire. What is more concerning is that it may stop us from asking "why" and instead lead us to mechanically execute "how."

To avoid this trap, perhaps we need to distinguish between "learning from" and "copying." Learning from means understanding the underlying logic and then adapting it to our own context; copying merely replicates the surface. At the same time, organizations should encourage "constructive questioning," allowing employees to challenge existing practices rather than treating "best practices" as untouchable dogma.

Furthermore, regularly conducting "practice reviews" is also crucial—not only evaluating results but also examining whether underlying assumptions still hold. When the external environment undergoes drastic changes, what was once "best" may become "worst." Therefore, maintaining intellectual humility and acknowledging that there is no eternal best, only the optimal for the time being, may be a wiser attitude.

Ultimately, the core of the issue lies not in "best practices" themselves, but in how we treat them: as a starting point for thinking, or an endpoint? As a tool, or a shackle? This requires every organization and individual to continuously reflect in action.