The Contrarian View

Why “Best Practice” Breaks Under Pressure

Under pressure, organisations often reach for best practice.

• Frameworks.
• Benchmarks.
• Imported systems.

It feels responsible. It feels rigorous. But context matters more than elegance.

A process that works in a mature, aligned organisation can paralyse a fragmented one.

A system designed for efficiency can destroy momentum when trust is low.

A reporting structure that looks robust can slow decisions when speed matters most.

Execution doesn’t break because people resist change. It breaks because change ignores readiness.

Under pressure, the question isn’t “What works elsewhere?”

It’s “What works here, right now?”

Best practice without context is risk disguised as discipline.