“Follow The Science” Like An Executive
When executive-level managers request that we “follow the science”, what they are really asking us to do is “follow their decision”.
Executive Leaders
Executive leadership, in either the private or public sector, are at the top of the management pyramid. Their role is to plan and make decisions regarding the organization’s capacity, policies, and performance. They are far removed from the day-to-day operations of the organization or agency. Consequently, they must rely on reports and presentations generated by middle managers and subject matter experts (SME), in order to do their jobs.
Middle Managers & Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)
It is the middle manager and his team of SMEs that “follow the science” and generate the reports that undergird an executive’s decisions. Starting with whichever question the executive wants answered, they investigate the issue, identify alternative courses of action, analyze the alternatives, and generate recommendations.
The Reports (Policy Papers)
One of the primary tools middle managers use to communicate their findings (research, analysis, and recommendations) is the policy paper. A policy paper is a research document that covers five main topics – background discussion (what is the current situation), alternative solutions (what options exist for answering the question), evaluation criteria (standards used to determine a good solution), analysis of alternatives (how each alternative measures up against the criteria), and recommendation (which alternative performed best against the standards).
The Bias
In constructing the policy paper, there a few biases researchers must stave off if they want to write good papers. The list includes:
- Confirmation Bias – Researchers hold a certain belief, so they focus on aspects of the data/science that highlight that belief.
- Bandwagon Effect – the majority of researchers/scientist hold a given opinion, so it’s difficult for minority opinions to be heard.
- Brown nose bias (I came up with this name) – Researchers need to produce a result that is in line with management’s desired outcome.
Conclusion
Long before “the science” reaches you and I, decisions were made that had nothing to do with “the science”. What we receive is management’s decision on what “science” is best, given the manager’s experience in making decisions.
Now that you know what is meant by “Follow The Science”, are things a little clearer? If not, what do you think?
References
Harvard Kennedy School. (n.d.). Senior managers in government. Retrieved August 13, 2023, from https://www.hks.harvard.edu/educational-programs/executive-education/senior-managers-government
Policy Lab. (April, 2015). Tips for Writing Policy Papers. Stanford Law School.
Retrieved August 12, 2023, from https://law.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/White-Papers-Guidelines.pdf
McCombs School of Business. (November 5, 2022). Cognitive Bias – Ethics Unwrapped. The University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved August 7, 2023, from https://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/glossary/cognitive-bias
The Wharton School. (January 11, 2021). Top Executive Management Skills Needed to Succeed in the C-Suite. The University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved August 12, 2023, https://executivemba.wharton.upenn.edu/top-executive-management-skills-needed-in-the-c-suite/
