Falcon I'm trying to determine your real complaint. You seem to be saying that if a procedure or technique is not in the book (ie SOP) then it shouldn't be done and/or taught. Is this it or were you critiqued on the techniques and annoyed about that?
There is a preponderance of de facto "SOPs" in everyday use now. If the company defines the way of doing EVERYTHING then when something is not included crew will not know what to do. If they don't, then the result is techniques creeping in. If they don't teach techniques, everyone else creates their own.
Airmanship was mentioned but that is being well and truly stifled; now even a defined procedure/patter for the load sheet data which means something new on which to be critiqued. Fantastic, what next? This has to be one of the most anal retentive airlines in the industry yet, oddly, those in charge do not stamp out the tendency towards divergence such as, off the top of my head, missing or incorrect standard calls, or even something as simple as the "takeoff" call before (not after) TOGA. How does someone get through training without being told the call is Positive "Climb", not "Rate"? Or am I wrong? The other day someone made a standard (I think) call telling me he was in "managed descent" FFS. One guy in WX radar, the other in TERR for take off, every time - when did that become SOP?
I thought we use taxi lights on during taxi but you have guys switching them off when stopped and no one else around and in broad daylight! But they rigidly make sure the logo lights are off at 10K. It's amazing which things are adhered to and which aren't.
For an airline that defines itself by SOPs, the lack of adherence to so many details is amazing. SOPs or techniques, I'd be pleased if they could just hammer into people's heads not to press their greasy fingers all over the f**k**g screens!