How Can You Incorporate EBP?

Let’s lead with a typical difficulty that frequently derails a positive work environment, a lack of communication. How can EBP assist with the struggles that come from disrupted communication? Applying EBP to this situation would involve another level of analysis. It would look and feel something like this: What evidence do I have that the team is poor at communicating? What aspects of communication are they poor at? How do they compare to best practice for team communication? How do I know that a day spent doing a specific team-building activity will really help my team’s communication skills? How will I know it worked? How am I going to measure how well we communicate? How am I going to evaluate the success of the team-building intervention?

EBP is ultimately about ensuring the diagnosis of problems and issues are based on sound evidence. The goal of EBP is to eliminate unsound or excessively risky practices in favor of those that have better outcomes.

The cost to human performance, a successful company culture and company profits is enormous – yet it continues unabated.

What is evidence-based practice?

Evidence-based practice (EBP) (EBP) originated in the fields of medicine, psychology and sport science and is about applying the scientific method to diagnose problems and create solutions. The Scientific method refers to the body of techniques for acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge. It is based on gathering observable, empirical and measurable evidence subject to specific principles of reasoning.

EBP is a very long way from “I don’t think my team is very successful with communication, so I think they need to do some “team building” exercises.”

This may sound a bit harsh, and I don’t mean to offend, but think back to recent challenges you or your colleagues have had with individuals or teams in your workplace. How well did you really diagnose the problems, and were your solutions actually effective? It’s about changing your mindset to one that always asks, “what’s the evidence?” before diagnosing problems and looking for solutions.

The cost of poor evidence

If you don’t have quality evidence to base your decisions on, then you are severely compromising yourself, your colleagues and your business. You are making pivotal decisions about your human capital, based on experience and gut feel alone. Nothing wrong with experience and gut feel, it’s a great asset – but in isolation it can be tremendously dangerous.

Poor diagnosis and ineffective solutions for human performance can prove very costly – at least $1.4 million in one case I recently reviewed with a client.

A large retail organization invested in global sales training program from a training company. The program proved to be a disaster and was having no impact on the sales teams. When I sat down with the owner of the training company and asked to be shown the evidence on which the program was based, he came up blank. He stated it was based on his experience of being a top sales manager and “stuff” he had used and read over the years.

Four pitfalls to avoid if you want to apply EBP

In the case above there was simply a lack of hard evidence. No real proof that the problem diagnosed was really the issue, or evidence that the solution addressed the problem. There was insufficient data to do a diagnosis, no review of suitable solutions and options and no evaluation. So here are four things to avoid in order to that you can really achieve EBP. 

1. Don’t allow your beliefs to over-rule the evidence

More often than we are aware, or would like to admit to, our personal beliefs get the better of us regardless of the evidence. As a result it’s extremely easy to base decisions on beliefs alone. This can have dire consequences.

2. Ensure the solution is right for your needs

Just because a particular initiative or program has been or is seen to be successful for one individual, team or company doesn’t automatically mean that by copying it, the success will be emulated elsewhere.

3. Falling for the expert trap – don’t get blinded by smoke and mirrors

Never be afraid to ask for as much information and evidence as possible from the consultant or colleague who is offering to diagnose and/or fix problems. Whilst none of us can possibly know all there is to know about human performance, we all have the capability of asking searching questions if we are looking for solutions to needs.

4. Don’t be a dedicated follower of the latest fad

Human performance solutions are like diets – there are so many to choose from and so many fads. It’s a minefield out there! Refrain from selecting solutions on the basis of that it is what everyone else seems to do, or because someone said to you it worked for them (whatever “it worked” means), or because someone tells you it’s the solution to your problems. Remember – get some good evidence that it’s the right solution for your needs by applying the EBP framework. It will save fortunes in time, energy and resources.

In Summary

At KPA Elite Performance we can help clients ensure that their key performers and teams can operate at a higher and more sustained level. We can help move you beyond your best. By applying the KPA Elite Performance Model to your performance challenges we can help ensure you understand what the real challenge is and what the appropriate solutions should be. This is how we can help you to apply EBP to your business. Why guess when you can know?

By understanding what human performance is, what human performance skills are and by measuring, monitoring, managing and enhancing these skills, we’re talking about what we at KPA like to call SELP – Sustained Elite Level Performance. Our flagship program can also help take you beyond your best.

To that SELP level.