Forget These 5 Dangerous Best Practices in Agile!

Ah, best practices—the golden ticket to success, right? If you’re an Agile Coach, Scrum Master, leader, or anyone on an agile team, you’ve probably encountered this phrase countless times:

• “What are the best practices for running retrospectives?”
• “How do we implement the best practices for scaling agile?”
• “Can we just follow the best practices and get it done faster?”

Best practices seem like the perfect shortcut—a tried-and-true way to avoid mistakes, streamline processes, and deliver value quickly. They promise a sense of certainty in an otherwise chaotic world.

But before we dive into the specific best practices you should avoid, let’s first unpack what best practices actually mean and explore why they’re so widely sought after.

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What Are “Best Practices”?

The term “best practice” is rooted in the idea of identifying methods or approaches that consistently deliver the desired results. A best practice is, essentially:

1. Proven: It’s been tested and shown to work.
2. Replicable: Others can apply it and achieve similar outcomes.
3. Efficient: It’s often the most resource-effective way to solve a problem.

It’s no wonder best practices have become so popular. Who doesn’t want a proven solution that saves time, avoids pitfalls, and delivers results? They give us a sense of security—an easy path forward in an increasingly complex environment.

But let’s pause for a moment. While this definition sounds great on paper, there’s an underlying assumption: that what worked somewhere else will work for you.

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Agile and the World of Complexity

Here’s the thing: agility doesn’t operate in environments where best practices shine.

In the Cynefin framework, challenges are categorized into four domains:

• Simple: Clear cause and effect. Best practices apply here.
• Complicated: More effort is needed, but expert analysis can still uncover clear answers. Best practices work here too.
• Complex: Outcomes emerge unpredictably. Success depends on experimentation, adaptation, and feedback.
• Chaotic: Immediate action is required to stabilize the situation.

Agile thrives in the complex domain. It’s about solving problems where the relationship between cause and effect is unclear and context is king. What works well in one context might fail spectacularly in another.

Raising kids is a perfect example of a complex problem.

Imagine your first child. You work hard to figure out the “best” parenting methods—bedtime routines, rewards, discipline techniques—and they work! You feel like you’ve cracked the code.

And then comes your second child. You try those same techniques, but instead of harmony, you’re met with chaos. They’re a different person, with a unique temperament, needs, and motivations.

Sound familiar? Parenting isn’t about discovering a universal “best practice”; it’s about experimenting, learning, and adapting to each child. Agile works the same way.

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The Subtle Problem with Best Practices

At this point, some skeptics might argue:

• “Nobody thinks best practices are universal or eternal. They’re just guidelines.”
• “Best practices aren’t the problem—misusing them is!”

And yes, they’re absolutely right. Best practices, when viewed as starting points, can be helpful. But here’s where the problem lies in reality:

• Blind Application: Best practices are often adopted without enough validation or adaptation to the local context.
• Discouraging Questions: The label “best” can subtly discourage teams from challenging or improving the practice.
• Inhibiting Innovation: Once something is deemed “best,” there’s less incentive to explore alternatives, even when the context demands it.

This isn’t about vilifying best practices. It’s about recognizing their limitations—especially in agile, where success comes from continuously discovering better ways of working.

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Forget These 5 Dangerous Best Practices

So, what are the “5 dangerous best practices” to avoid in agile? Here’s the list:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Wait—where’s the list?

Here’s the twist: the real danger isn’t in specific practices. It’s in the mindset that any practice can be universally “best.” This mindset leads to:

• Complacency: Teams stop questioning and adapting.
• Misalignment: Practices are applied without considering the unique context.
• Missed Opportunities: Innovation takes a backseat to rigid adherence.

Instead, every so-called best practice should be viewed as a hypothesis—something to test, adapt, and improve based on your specific needs.

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From “Best” to “Good” Practices

The difference between “best practices” and “good practices” isn’t about the practices themselves—it’s about the mindset they inspire.

Calling something a “best practice” makes it feel definitive, like it’s the final answer. It subtly suggests we should follow it as-is, without questioning or adapting it. In contrast, framing it as a “good practice” changes how we approach it:

• Good practices are suggestions, not prescriptions. They invite us to try them out while remaining open to adaptation.
• Good practices assume impermanence. They might work now, but they’re not sacred and can (and should) evolve as we learn more.
• Good practices encourage critical thinking. They remind us to test and validate before adopting them wholesale.

By reframing “best practices” as “good practices,” we maintain the curiosity, experimentation, and adaptability that agile demands. This subtle shift keeps us focused on continuous improvement and ensures we stay aligned with the unique needs of our teams and organizations.

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But… Should We Challenge Everything?

Not at all. Agile isn’t about questioning every single decision or practice. That would lead to paralysis. Instead, it’s about challenging the process—a principle from Posner and Kouzes’ The Leadership Challenge.

Here’s how:

1. Use good practices as a starting point.
2. Validate and adapt them to your unique context.
3. Regularly review whether they’re still serving your goals.

It’s about finding a balance between stability and innovation.

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The Big Reveal

Now, let’s revisit those five dangerous best practices:

1. The belief that practices can be universally “best.”
2. Blindly applying practices without understanding the context.
3. Failing to experiment and adapt practices over time.
4. Treating practices as immutable rather than evolving.
5. Allowing practices to stifle questioning and innovation.

So instead of chasing “best practices,” embrace the mindset of continuous improvement. Agility isn’t about finding the “best way.” It’s about always searching for better ways.

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Final Thoughts

The next time you’re tempted to ask for “best practices” or follow them without question, pause. Ask yourself:

• “Does this practice fit my team’s unique context?”
• “How can we adapt and test it?”
• “What opportunities for innovation are we missing by accepting this practice as-is?”

Forget the illusion of best practices. Let’s embrace the mindset of experimentation, improvement, and growth.

Now it’s your turn: What’s one “best practice” you’ve questioned or adapted recently? How did it change the game for your team?