My last post responded to "Data Dan," who asked: "I have two questions for you. First, any general advice on how to get this change in behavior through? Second, and the main reason I'm writing to you: are you aware of any data showing whether there are demonstrable benefits from making decisions based on data, especially in a corporate or better yet an IT environment?" I answered the second question, but not the My last post responded to “Data Dan,” who asked: “I have two questions for you. First, any general advice on how to get this change in behavior through? Second, and the main reason I’m writing to you: are you aware of any data showing whether there are demonstrable benefits from making decisions based on data, especially in a corporate or better yet an IT environment?” I answered the second question, but not the first. Let’s fix that now. Dan …There is, of course, a culture-change aspect to your question. It’s easier said than done (as if that needed saying). The short version: Characterize the desired behavior in the form of one or more situation/response statements, determine how you and your boss have to behave differently to encourage it, and patiently work the subject, every day, taking advantage of every opportunity.You can complement your culture change efforts with other tools – in particular training and procedure. The training aspect is self-explanatory. As for the procedural way of improving the situation, here’s one possibility: Consider instituting a lightweight version of what many IT services firms do before going forward with a contract – red-team and green-team reviews. The goal of a red team is to find reasons to not sign the deal. They dig for weaknesses, risks, and flawed assumptions. The green team’s goal is to enhance the deal, looking for additional opportunities, negotiating leverage points and other ways to make the deal more valuable.When you know in advance you’ll be subjected to red-team and green-team reviews, two things happen. First, you gripe about the pointless bureaucracy that’s getting in the way of going forward. And second, you make sure you’ve done your homework (which, if you’re smart, means making sure your facts and logic are tight, and that you’ve pre-sold the deal to the reviewers).For your organization, think of it as testing, applied to the front end of the solution design process. And going back to the first subject for a moment: One point I missed was the importance of data-collection following the design of a solution. Theory is great. Theory is the basis of all engineering. But it isn’t quite enough: Sometimes, in translating theory to design, engineers miss something. It’s why scientific research starts with theory and follows it with experimentation.And it’s why software development starts with coding and finishes with testing.– Bob Technology Industry