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Taking an evidence-based approach to decision-making may feel like unfamiliar territory. But it brings far better outcomes than taking the well-trodden path.
If you were standing at a fork in a path, and the path was well-trodden in one direction but overgrown in the other – which would you choose? Probably the well-trodden one, right?
That’s how some organisations make decisions. Whether it’s who to hire, what training and development to invest in or how to make their people more productive, they follow what others have done and what they hear is ‘best’ – without any evidence that it’s going to work for them. Unsurprisingly, it sometimes doesn’t. And the impact of that can be huge.
‘No one sets out to make a poor decision,’ says Richard MacKinnon, insight director at the Future Work Centre. ‘But the process is fallible. You might be under pressure from stakeholders and a budget to keep within. So why not do what you’ve always done, and take the well-trodden path?
‘The trouble is, it won’t necessarily bring you the results you want. Take the other path and it may be more challenging, but you’ll get a vastly superior outcome.’
No more blind faith – just the facts
Taking the other path means starting with what you want to achieve and assessing where you are against that objective. It means gathering and analysing your own data, and examining other people’s, to work out the best approach for your organisation – then testing that approach before you roll it out fully. And it means evaluating at the end to see if your initiative has worked.
In short, it means finding out what works, in what way and for whom, and using that information to make successful decisions.
At the Future Work Centre we believe that taking an evidence-based approach is needed to help us quantify the issues and benefits of things like flexible working, diverse workforces and technological advances.
Research needs to be accessible and actionable
‘There’s loads of great research out there, but it’s not always accessible,’ explains Richard. ‘And even if organisations do refer to the evidence, they don’t always know how to evaluate it or how to apply it. That’s the actionable part.’
This is where occupational psychologists really come into their own. ‘If you’re trained in applying scientific methods, you can sift, interpret and draw together evidence, as well as bring a baseline of shared knowledge to every situation,’ he says.
‘Being able to critically evaluate information and join the dots between it and the organisation’s issue is the science. It’s what occupational psychologists bring that no one else can.’
Your guide to the road less travelled
But what if you’re under pressure to make a decision, and you’re overwhelmed with competing advice and information?
‘This dilemma is the reason the Future Work Centre exists,’ says Richard. ‘We act as a guide for organisations who want to take the road less travelled, rather than the well-trodden path. And we do it by applying an evidence-based approach to solve their problems.’
Challenge your thinking by registering for our event: http://no-more-blind-faith-just-the-facts.eventbrite.co.uk
