Don't Do Something, Just Stand There: A Primer for Evidence-Based Practice

We are what we think all day long. At least that's what Ralph Waldo Emerson said. If that is true, then you should really stop and ask yourself "what am I thinking about right now?" And if you take a moment to really do that, then the title of this book will make sense to you. So often we simply react to what is going on around us and while we do "think" when we react, we often do not "critically think," because if we did, we would respond and not react. When I was in the Navy, I was taught to "work the problem," which meant to stop, look around, use whatever tools were available to you and figure out a solution. In fact, that's pretty much what I do today; I am a problem solver. I find solutions to problems that are oftentimes complex and illusive and I often do it by just standing there; taking a breath, looking at the information that is available to me and then making the best decision possible. Does it always work out the way I would like? Nope. But the outcome is positive a whole lot more often than it is negative and that's because I have reduced the uncertainty around the problem.

The purpose of this book is to show you how to reduce the uncertainty around the decisions you make, thereby increasing the likelihood of a positive outcome. And the way to do this is to understand the process of critical thinking and evidence-based practice. Being an evidence-based thinker means being able to wade through the masses of information and data and bring to the table something that we can use to make better decisions. And evidence-based decisions will more often than not result in positive management outcomes. So, welcome to my world.

And remember, don't do something, just stand there.