Does our need for evidence stop us doing the right thing?

Gut feel. Intuition. Instinct.

Words that were once synonymous with leadership. But as we increasingly face scrutiny over decision making and evidence for every choice we make, it seems that the desire for evidence, 'facts', and supporting data can actually get in the way of making the decisions that are simply the right thing to do.

Happiness is one of those subjects that often falls foul of this mindset, in much the same way that customer service initiatives have always been harder to justify than cost reduction - there's an intangibility to it, the returns are not as certain as buying cheaper coffee.

Yet we all intuitively believe that better customer service leads to better results. The same is true in the case of happier people.

I describe the case for happiness as being a little like that for climate change. The evidence is there, the scientists are all in agreement. People are simply better (in all aspects of their lives) when happier.

Evidence is good, don't get me wrong, but statistics from research, external benchmarks or evidence from other companies won't tell you a lot about your business or how things will work for you.

It brings to mind this old quote

"People use statistics like a drunk uses lampposts - for support rather than illumination"

Andrew Lang

For me, when it comes to happiness, it's simply a question of what kind of business, what kind of leader, what kind of person you want to be.

If you value the people in your company, and let's face it, most companies do (and those that don't still profess to), then being interested in their overall wellbeing (happiness being "subjective wellbeing"), and wanting to understand how normal routines in their day-to-day lives affect them through their own eyes, shouldn't need a business case.

You should simply want to do it. You should want to know how people really feel.

And when you understand what's really going on, you'll be informed with real insights about the people in your company.

So, the next time you're weighing up a decision (and I don't mean just about whether you should invest time and effort in happiness) and you're asking for evidence, ask yourself whether you really need it or whether perhaps you're acting a little drunk.