Rob Briner on Evidence-Based Management

Summary

The video discusses evidence-based management, emphasizing the importance of making informed decisions using multiple sources of evidence. These include a manager's expertise, stakeholder input, scientific research, and organizational data. The speaker highlights the barriers to evidence-based practice, such as management fads and lack of evaluation. They suggest simple steps for HR practitioners to adopt this approach, such as forming a supportive team, asking critical questions, and utilizing resources like the evidence-based management website. Despite challenges, the speaker is optimistic about the potential for more informed decision-making in management.

Takeaways

• 😀 Evidence-based management involves making more informed decisions using evidence from four main sources: professional expertise, stakeholders, scientific research, and organizational data.
• 😀 The goal of evidence-based management is to identify problems or opportunities, gather relevant evidence, and use that evidence to identify the best solutions.
• 😀 Managers often fail to use evidence effectively due to various barriers such as management fads and the lack of proper evaluation mechanisms for their actions.
• 😀 Management fads (e.g., employee engagement, talent management) often distract managers from focusing on actual problems, leading to poorly informed decisions.
• 😀 One significant challenge in management is that many decisions are made without evaluating whether they work or have the desired impact, leading to a lack of feedback for improvement.
• 😀 While there is a general interest in using evidence in decision-making, practical barriers often prevent its full implementation in management practices.
• 😀 To become more evidence-based, HR practitioners should start by asking 'why' about decisions and processes, ensuring they understand the problem before proceeding.
• 😀 Evidence-based management is more effective when practiced within a team of like-minded individuals, making it crucial to foster a collaborative, evidence-driven environment.
• 😀 Simple steps to get started with evidence-based management include exploring resources on dedicated websites, asking critical questions, and applying evidence-based techniques.
• 😀 There is a tension in management between the desire for evidence-based decisions and the need to take action quickly, with some practitioners preferring to act without extensive questioning.
• 😀 A successful shift toward evidence-based decision-making requires recognizing the barriers and systematically addressing them to improve decision outcomes.

Q & A

What is evidence-based management?

Evidence-based management involves making decisions based on a combination of different sources of evidence. This includes professional expertise, input from stakeholders, scientific research, and organizational data to better understand problems and identify effective solutions.

What are the four main sources of evidence in evidence-based management?

The four main sources of evidence are: 1) the manager's professional expertise, 2) stakeholder input (such as from employees or shareholders), 3) scientific research, and 4) organizational data.

How can evidence-based management improve decision-making?

By gathering evidence from multiple sources, managers can make better-informed decisions that are more likely to effectively address problems and opportunities within their organization.

What are some common barriers to using evidence in decision-making?

Barriers include management fads and fashions, a lack of structured evaluation of practices, and the tendency to rely on quick, unexamined decisions rather than gathering and analyzing evidence.

What is the impact of management fads on evidence-based decision-making?

Management fads, such as trends like employee engagement or talent management, can distract managers from addressing the actual problems they face and lead them to focus on solutions that may not be relevant or effective.

Why do some managers avoid evaluating the effectiveness of their decisions?

Many managers do not evaluate the impact of their decisions due to a lack of time, resources, or incentives. Without this evaluation, they cannot determine whether their actions are producing the desired results.

What advice is given to HR practitioners who want to use more evidence-based practices?

HR practitioners are encouraged to collaborate with a team that values evidence-based practices, ask critical questions about the problems they are addressing, and use resources like evidence-based management websites for tools and techniques.

What is one of the challenges of implementing evidence-based management on an individual level?

One challenge is that it can be difficult for a single HR practitioner to adopt evidence-based practices on their own, especially if their team is not similarly committed to this approach.

What role does asking 'why' play in evidence-based management?

Asking 'why' helps practitioners to critically assess the problems they are tackling and to ensure that the decisions they make are based on relevant evidence. This helps move beyond assumptions or trends and leads to more effective problem-solving.

Why is it important to identify the right problem before choosing a solution in evidence-based management?

Identifying the right problem ensures that the solution chosen is effective and appropriate. Without understanding the problem clearly, managers may adopt solutions that don't actually address the core issue, leading to ineffective outcomes.