Evidence-based
management
Dr Gary Jones

Hello
Dr Gary Jones
Former senior leader in a further
education college
Blogger www.garyrjones.com/blog
Speaker Author
@DrGaryJones
jones.gary@gmail.com
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By the end of this session
• Defined the term ‘evidence-based management’
• Explained why we need evidence-based management
• Looked at what needs to be done to make EBMgt work
• If you have been interested in what you have heard and seen,
suggested some next steps
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Why we need evidence-based management?
• To make better decisions
• To protect us from ‘management fads’
• To help us navigate our own ‘bounded rationality’ and cognitive
biases
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Who do you work for ?
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Management fads
• Emotional Intelligence
• Six Sigma
• Business Process Re-
engineering
• Management by walking
about
• Core competency
• There is no “I” in team
• Embracing mistakes
• Fun by fiat
• Matrix Management
• Authentic Leadership
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How to spot a management fad/fashion
• Simple, straightforward
• Promising results
• Universal
• Step-down capability
• In tune with zeitgeist
• Novel, not radical
• Legitimacy via gurus and star examples
• Lively, entertaining
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MILLER, D., HARTWICK, J. & LE BRETON-MILLER, I. 2004. How to detect a
management fad—and distinguish it from a classic. Business Horizons, 47, 7-16.

What to do when faced with a management
guru
• What evidence is there that the new approach can provide productive
results. Are arguments based on solid evidence from lots of organisations
followed over time?
• Has the approach worked in organisations similar to our own that face similar
challenges?
• Is the approach relevant to the priorities and strategies relevant to our
organisation?
• Is the advice specific enough to be implemented? Do we have enough
information about implementation challenges and how to meet them?
• Is the advice practical for our school given our capabilities and resources?
• Can we reasonably assess the costs and prospective rewards (Amended
from (Miller et al., 2004) pp 14-15
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Activity
• In the last year, what new management process have been
introduced into your organisation ?
• Before the decision was made to introduce the new process, what
evidence was made available to show that the process actually
worked
• Any other observations
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Three cognitive biases
• Confirmation bias
• Halo effect
• Anchoring bias
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Confirmation bias 21

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25https://betterhumans.coach.me/cognitive-bias-cheat-sheet-55a472476b18

How to mitigate cognitive biases
• Educate yourself about cognitive biases
• Reflect on your past decision-making
• Seek out information from a range of sources
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Thing One
• That the organization is a learning organization. This means
that leaders:
• Understand the nature of evidence-based practice,
• Are committed to developing a learning focussed, evidence-centric culture
and,
• Can develop networks that help to find and build both evidence and skill
in using it.
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Thing Two
• That staff have developed the knowledge and skills to be change
agents. This means employees:
• Have a level of self-efficacy or have the self-belief and confidence that they
have the knowledge, capacity, and capability to engage productively in
evidence-based practice,
• They also need to have the ‘analytic competence’ and tools of critical
thinking and,
• The cognitive and other tools to productively participate in the process.
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Advice for prospective evidence-based
managers 32

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Want to know more about evidence-based
management 34

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For more information?
Dr Gary Jones
www.garyrjones.com/blog
@DrGaryJones
jones.gary@gmail.com
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