Standardisation is a double-edged sword. Compliance with standards is best restricted to those standards that really make a difference in a specific context.

Even innocent standardisation attempts such as enforcing a shared terminology across an organisation can be counter-productive, as it can lead to the illusion of shared understanding, whereas in practice each organisational silo associates different meanings with the terminology.

There is no simplistic rule of thumb, but the following picture can help to gain a sense of perspective and to avoid the dreaded death zone of standardisation.

Death by Standardisation