When this newsletter began publication nearly 10 years ago, the term “best practices” was relatively new to emergency services. The term had been widely used in manufacturing, technology and business to describe processes that could be demonstrated to be superior to others. The idea suggested that there was a single method, process or activity that could be identified and proven to be most effective in obtaining a desired result.

Early proponents of the best practices concept taught that best practice identification should only be applied to discrete processes that could be benchmarked against similar processes, either within in the organization or externally. An objective, measurable outcome was needed for comparison, which was achieved through the rigorous process of benchmarking.

As benchmarking migrated to service industries and government, thinking about best practices evolved and softened. Corralling distinct business processes was not always possible in service and government, and often, there were too many variables to conduct hard comparisons.

As people looked for a best practice, they often found that the dynamic nature of a service industry prohibited naming something a best practice for all time. Today’s best practices in emergency services may not work tomorrow. They also discovered that there may not be a single best practice; instead, there may be more than one way to achieve desired results. In time, “best practices” became more of a way of thinking and acting than a definition of specific methodology and criteria for identifying best processes.

I have come to call this way of thinking about best practices the best practices mind. To have a best practices mind is to consider the possibility of doing something better.

The best practices mind doesn’t subscribe to the notion of “good enough.” It finds no shame in admitting that something can be improved. Some would say the best practices mind is restless. It doesn't assume that all is well because there is no crisis. It doesn’t wait for survival threats to force change. It recognizes that change is the norm.

The best practices mind is curious. “Nosy” might be a good word to describe this characteristic. Best practices minds are always checking things out, trying to understand how they work. The best practices mind is a continuous “better-way” tourist looking everywhere – not just within an organization or industry, but all over – in other organizations, in other industries, in other parts of the world, in books, periodicals, in nature, the sciences and liberal arts, even in the world of sports. You never know where an idea for doing something better might be found.

The best practices mind is not risk- or change-adverse. It recognizes that lofty mission statements about “providing best possible service” and “putting patients first” find their integrity in action. A best practices mind is usually found near the front of the adaptation pack. Once a good idea is found, the best practices mind has no shame in stealing, adapting and making someone else’s idea its own.

With our first issue of Best Practices in 1998, we started promoting articles and ideas that fed the best practices mind. Our goal has been to provoke thinking and sharing of ideas among leaders and managers in emergency services and to be a “better way” tour guide. So far, your response suggests we are doing our job.

In an effort to help prepare the next generation of EMS leaders, we have teamed up with the National EMS Management Association (NEMSMA) and are providing Best Practices in Emergency Services as a member benefit. Currently, the association is allowing 10 people from one location to join for a single price, with copies of this newsletter going to all of them. Learn more at www.nemsma.org.