When it comes to solving complex problems, we often perform elaborate rituals in the guise of best practices that promise a world of order, certainty, and control. But reality paints a far different picture, which practitioners are often reluctant to discuss. In The Heretic’s Guide to Best Practices, authors Paul Culmsee and Kailash Awati provide a plethora of practical techniques to help convert colleagues or managers who are firm believers in best practices. Through applicable anecdotes, references to pop culture, and examples from case studies, Culmsee and Awati offer practical advice that benefits everyone in the organisation—from frontline employees to senior executives. A witty yet rigorous journey through the seedy underbelly of organisational problem solving, The Heretic’s Guide to Best Practices pinpoints the reasons why best practices don’t work as advertised and what can be done about it. Learn why conventional wisdom is not always wise and discover how the promise of best practices can be delivered for you and your organisation.

Have you ever noticed that infomercials trying to sell you the latest ab-sculpting, fat burning, home fitness device with three easy credit card payments, always start with questions designed in such a way that the answer is invariably “Yes”? We have too—so as a tribute to these infomercials, we are starting this book with some seriously loaded questions. • Have you ever had the feeling that something is not quite right in your workplace, yet you cannot articulate why? • Are you required to perform tasks that you instinctively feel are of questionable value? • Have you ever questioned an approach, only to be told that it is a best practice and therefore cannot be questioned? • Have you ever sighed and blamed the ills of your organisation on “culture” or “that’s just the way things are done here”? • Have you ever lamented to others that “If only we got ourselves organised”, we would stop chasing our tails and being so reactive? If you answered “No” to these questions then, seriously—you are holding the wrong book. What’s more, if you manage staff and you answered ”No” to these questions, then chances are your staff gave you this book to read in the hope that you might learn a few home truths. For those who said a hopefully emphatic “Yes!”—and we are hoping that’s a fair chunk of our readers—this book might offer you some answers and put some names to some of the things that make your organisational “spider senses” tingle. Bear in mind, you are not going to get any glib “Seven Steps to Organisational Nirvana” type stuff here. Instead, you are about to undertake a varied and, at times, heretical journey into the fun-filled world of organisational problem solving. Not only will this book provide you with some juicy ammunition in relation to organisational debates about the validity of best practices, but the practical tools and approaches that we cover might also give you some insights in how to improve things.

Paul Culmsee earned a bachelor’s degree in information science from Edith Cowan University. He is an IT professional, a facilitator, and a sense-maker who co-founded Seven Sigma Business Solutions. He and his wife have two children and live in Perth, Australia. Kailash Awati manages information systems development at Boehringer-Ingelheim, Australia. He holds PhDs in physics and chemical engineering together with assorted certifications in project and data management. His professional interests include project/portfolio management, risk analysis, knowledge management and decision making in organisations. He lives in Sydney with his wife and two children.