Ways of skinning small furry animals
If following SOPs is pedantic, and insisting that the FO / Capt do likewise,why do we have them in the first place?
How many times have you heard ' When I fly with Capt A he likes it done this way but when I fly with Capt B he wants this.'
I don't subscribe to excessive attention to niff naff ' You used the wrong finger to press that button son' but I do believe that sticking to the SOPs does make life easier all round. However being shown a variety of ways of completing the task broadens one's experience base, once again, so long as it falls within the 'rules'.
We exist in a rule / regulation based environment: the gear limit is 250 kts, flap 1 at 280, flap 25 at 180 or whatever for each type. Hence there are certain immutables we observe without invoking the 'pedantic fool' epithet. Where is the line in the sand that separates pedantry from normal professional operation?
The rules run from C to X: if you try to use A,B,Y or Z you are heading in to no man's land and you need to be pulled up. So long as you work the within the rules take a little from everyone, refine it, distill it and in due course pass it along to the next generation.
Remember, don't sweat the small stuff.