Problem
Evidence-based management is an approach that involves consciously setting aside the accepted conventions and hierarchy of opinion, and instead, using critical thinking and the best available evidence to make decisions. Using it to make managerial and people-related decisions can drive better outcomes in every aspect of a business, from diversity and inclusion to profitability.
Evidence-based management is a practice of management and decision-making based on critical thinking and reliable evidence. The practice became popular in medicine in the 1990s when a Canadian-American physician, Dr. David Sackett defined evidence-based practice as "the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients." (Daly, 2021)
Evidence-based management makes us more effective and accountable leaders and delivers better outcomes for our organizations. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and the Center for Evidence-Based Management (CEBMa) outline six steps you can follow to increase the likelihood of a favorable outcome from your decisions:
i. Asking: Translating a practical issue or problem into an answerable question
ii. Acquiring: Systematically searching for and retrieving the evidence
iii. Appraising: Critically judging the trustworthiness and relevance of the evidence
iv. Aggregating: Weighing and pulling together the evidence
v. Applying: Incorporating the evidence into the decision-making process
vi. Assessing: Evaluating the outcome of the decision
Daly, C. (2021) Forget Conventional Wisdom, You Need Evidence-Based Management.