Why Evidence-Based Communication Sometimes Fails
Evidence-based practice is now an essential part of how we work.
Advice, policy and strategy are expected to be informed by science, research and data. Particularly in sectors like the food industry, where safety, compliance, quality and consumer trust matter a lot.
In our industry, evidence is a critical part of good technical judgement.
However, to communicate effectively, a strong commitment to being evidence-based can sometimes get in the way of clarity.
And when communication lacks clarity, there's a risk of not being heard.
Over time, I've seen highly capable technical leaders, including food scientists, QA professionals and R&D managers, whose expertise doesn't fully land with the people who most need to hear it.
The main reasons for this are that the points that need to be made are getting lost in excessive explanation.
Using too much evidence can lead to overloaded, overly cautious presentations and conversations that become difficult to translate into action.
Some common signs of this include:
Walking people through every study, limitation and caveat before getting to the key point
Holding back from contributing because you want more proof before speaking up
Delaying decisions because you are still refining, researching or trying to be completely certain you are “right”
Presenting technical detail without clearly stating the recommendation or next step
Thoroughness matters.
But good communication also requires judgement.
In many day-to-day leadership situations, the real skill is knowing when depth is needed and when clarity matters more.
If your audience is busy, under pressure or less technically orientated, too much detail can dilute the message rather than strengthen it.
Evidence is still critical. But influential communication means translating expertise into relevance.
Lead with the point you need people to understand.
Then expand with evidence where needed.
The technical experts who create the greatest influence are not always the ones with the most detail.
They are often the ones who communicate their expertise clearly enough for people to act on it.