There’s good support for evidence-based management at Managing by Evidence today from Rob at Business Pundit.com. Rob ask: What is the best approach to business? 
He advises leaders to use a little known management tool called... "looking at the evidence," from Jeffrey Pfeffer, author of this book has an article up about why that is a good idea.
My question is, Why do so few companies follow Rob and Jeffrey’s good advice?
One possible response is that we have not yet conditioned our business brains to work with change that requires evidence. For instance the basal ganglia can work against change in the brain… and the working memory… which is your place for change… takes getting used to…. There are answers.
At the MITA Brain Based Renewal Center, we support leaders one step in that direction by ending each leadership development with an evidence plus accountability event. We call it “MITA Celebration of Change” because it demonstrates evidence that leaders have applied the ideas in ways that impact change in one area at work. At this closing event, participants exchange their new ideas with others in the field… draw out insights from invited quests… and propose a plan for follow-up after the session ends.
When you lead change with the brain in mind… your best option is to check monthly for concrete evidences of growth… especially in the first year … after change is introduced. The brain does best when you help it to shift new ideas or facts out of the rather small, daily working memory – where facts leak out when other demands crowd in. The goal is to secure change in the basal ganglia part of the brain … where it becomes habit. Basal ganglia habit is far easier to do…. The key is to guide the brain there through evidence of change on a regular basis.
Do you see evidence for more business success, when you lead with the brain in mind…?
Dear Dr. Weber
I regret that I have to fundamentally differ from most of the ideas you propose on your blog. There is very little evidence to support the concept of brain based management (or brain based learning, etc.). The ideas you advance have either not been validated in neurosience research, or have long since been rejected (i.e. the left brain right brain dichotomy). It seems to me that should evidence based management really take hold, brain based management would be one of the first things to be rejected due to lack of evidence.
Leon Stander
Posted by: Leon Stander | July 17, 2006 6:55 AM | Permalink to Comment