Strategy, technology, or capital allocation often seem like some of the most pressing challenges in organizational performance. 

Our take is that it’s actually the persistent, systemic failure to apply what we actually know about human behavior. Across five of the most consequential domains in any organization—leadership development, learning and development, diversity equity and inclusion, motivation and rewards, and well-being—a clear pattern emerges: organizations default to approaches that are popular, intuitive, or politically safe rather than evidence-based. The result is billions of dollars spent annually with negligible returns, and in some cases, meaningful harm.

Like many issues we face at the workplace, this is not a problem of effort or intention. It is a structural gap between what behavioral science research has established and what organizations actually do. Understanding that gap requires an honest examination of all three contributing parties: the academic and research community, human resources, and organizational leadership.