WHAT?- Culture Shock

'Industry Practices', 'Best Practices', 'Leading Practices'; call them by any name but they are a decision-makers fondest set of words. Benchmarking with the best is a common practice in any function or at any level of decision-making. But what happens if the 'best-in-class' practice backfires? What if the 'leading practice' is on the verge of becoming obsolete? While learning from others' experiences is not a bad idea, firms need to understand how a best practice applies to them before taking a decision to emulate it. Beyond the demographics of each firm is an underlying culture; culture which can and does deeply impact the success of any initiative. What may be relevant in one culture, may completely fail in another culture.
So, before you embark on a benchmarking exercise, remember to evaluate the final recommendations in light of the culture of your firm- how will your leaders and employees respond? How difficult would it be to implement the recommendations? And more importantly, will the best practice lead to the desired result? Its a safe way to avoid a culture shock!