Above and Beyond KM - Latest Comments in Just Tell Me What Works!

Re: Just Tell Me What Works!

VMaryAbraham — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:20:23 -0000

Phil -

As you can see, my blog posts reflect my ongoing internal conversation on these topics!

I like your nomination for the best of best practices (i.e., do the hard work of thinking for yourself). It's guaranteed to work, assuming one's thinking is sound!

- Mary

Re: Just Tell Me What Works!

Philip Struchkov — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:42:06 -0000

Mary,

You already had answered first question in your post Resting on Your Laurels Ruins Best Practices :)

I am personally against blind following of any best practices in any case in any discipline. I know only one best practice which applies to any of discipline in any case "...actually do the hard work of thinking for yourself..". I am trying to do my best to follow this best practice every single day.

I believe that best practices should not be followed blindly but rather for should make people think themselves. However I can't say all disciplines as I have experience in some of them only.

Phil

Re: Just Tell Me What Works!

VMaryAbraham — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:35:21 -0000

Phil -

You raise an intriguing question. Are there ANY best practices in any disciplines that may safely be followed blindly? If not, what's really a best practice?

- Mary

Re: Just Tell Me What Works!

Philip Struchkov — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:58:36 -0000

Mary,

I think that the more constant subject of discipline is the wider context where best practices should be followed scrupulously. Even medicine with the human body as a subject has best practices working in most contexts but from time to time researches proof that the practice should be changed.
For those disciplines which have less constant subject like KM best practices should be more general guidelines than the action plans.

Phil

Re: Just Tell Me What Works!

VMaryAbraham — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:05:07 -0000

Thanks, Phil.

It's possible that some disciplines (for example, medicine?) actually have best practices that work in most contexts and should be followed scrupulously -- at least until research shows that they shouldn't be. However, I wonder if this is the exception rather than the rule? How many other disciplines can make a similar claim?

- Mary

Re: Just Tell Me What Works!

Philip Struchkov — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:22:28 -0000

Mary,

I agree with you that "Best Practice" should not be the rule of how something should be done. I think it is more about what should be done and why it should be done.
It is useful to study best practices in terms of what could be changed and what results could be achieved.

Phil

Re: Just Tell Me What Works!

VMaryAbraham — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:49:34 -0000

Nimmy -

I like your idea of distilling the core concepts derived from best practices
and then adapting them for our own environments. In that way, we learn from
others, borrow the best from them, but still create a solution that actually
works for us. It's a win-win all around.

- Mary

Re: Just Tell Me What Works!

Nimmy — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 02:36:07 -0000

Nice post!

It all depends on how desperate we are to accomplish something - quickly. We must rather let a "Best Practice" inspire us than make us want to blindly follow what it advocates. We must "derive" info from such practices rather than use them as they are. They will not be harmful as long as one focuses on the core concepts that the practice stems from and, of course, the context associated. And then, we must debate and discuss it within our own environments before we decide whether it will work for us or not...

Re: Just Tell Me What Works!

VMaryAbraham — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:06:26 -0000

Thanks very much, Gerard.

You and your team are famous for thinking creatively about how to improve the practice and business of law. It appears that the starting point is innovating sufficiently to make the inevitable mistake or two. Then, the key is to respond quickly. You've mentioned the need to listen carefully and adapt rapidly. Both of these essential behaviors are too frequently ignored when we are fixated on implementing best practices.

Good luck with your e-mail transparency project!

- Mary

Re: Just Tell Me What Works!

GerardN — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:50:52 -0000

Mary - I couldn't agree more with you, David Gurteen and Steve Billing. 'Think for yourself' but learn from others is becoming increasingly important in a world where 'old truths' are challenged daily but new developments.

Where we are seeing real breakthroughs at our firm is in areas where do things quite differently, make the occasional mistake, talk to others, listen carefully and adapt rapidly. For example, at the moment we are working on a couple of developments that are radically changing transparency for our clients but without threatening our lawyers or impacting our clients' internal confidentiality rules. In this instance we are planning to share email correspondence securely and in real-time. I don't think this has been done before in exactly this way. Well start small & go from there.

Gerard.