Do You Know What Casuistry is? You Should ‘Cuz You’re A Victim Of It

Say what you want about twitter it has helped me find more great information than any other source including google reader.  Unfortunately, I have to wade through quite a bit of white teeth and ads for follower-getting-apps.  But there are many companies that have case studies that show how twitter can work for B2B companies.  And if you buy into their case study you've just become a victim of casuistry.

While I was aware of the concept before I saw a tweet from @WhatMotivates I did not know there was a word for it.  His tweet directed me (if my memory serves) to this article on the recent blow up surrounding the falsified research on autism.  The article talks about Jenny McCarthy and her discussion with Oprah Winfrey about how Ms. McCarthy found a “cure” for autism.  The point of the article is that she was convinced – through her own “case study” with her son that the diet was the cause of her son’s autism – or at least diet could correct a good portion of the problem.

An excerpt from the article:

"In essence, the scientists and policymakers who deal with issues that have an enormous impact on the public well being - things like nutritional recommendations and the risk-benefit analysis of medical treatments - are speaking an entirely different language from the Jenny McCarthys of the world, who find their own experience of one child's problem vastly more compelling than any number of peer-reviewed studies. And here I should emphasize that I do not think that Jenny McCarthy is a foolish woman. And that's just the problem. Casuistry is a deeply intuitive approach to understanding the world that even the smartest people can easily fall into if they're not forearmed."

Derived from discussions of ethics and law casuistry is defined as:

1. specious, deceptive, or over-subtle reasoning, esp. in questions of morality; fallacious or dishonest application of general principles; sophistry.
2. the application of general ethical principles to particular cases of conscience or conduct.

When I googled it the thing that stood out was the use of “case studies” as proof of a concept.  The root of casuistry is the word “case.”

 

Case Studies Are Just That – Case Studies

I only bring this up because we too often see case studies being used as a selling tool for many incentive and reward programs.  An incentive company will present their experience with a client in a case study format and let you make the mental leap that their solution was the answer to the client’s problem and therefore, it will be the answer to your problem.   

But it may not be the answer to your problem.  It is simply a single case study.  It may have zero application in your world.

As we discussed here many, many times, case studies and best practices are worthless when applied in a different environment and with a different corporate culture.  What works at Morgan Stanley won’t work at Whole Foods or wait for it... zappos (okay everyone needs to take a shot now! - new #hrhappyhour game.)

Case studies are a nice way for companies to show how they used their talents to solve THAT company’s problem but not necessarily yours.  Now if they can show that their thinking and/or solution/application has solved EVERY company’s problem they have ever worked with (or at least in the high 70% range) then I’d be paying attention.  

What that would show me is their process, when applied across different companies, cultures and problems, has a high degree of success.  It doesn't say that Case History #3 is what you should do.  That is a single case and drawing any conclusions from that would just be casuistry.

I have a new favorite word.

 

Related articles

• Mind Traps: How Smart People Went So Wrong on Autism (psychologytoday.com)

Comments

[Drew Hawkins]

I think my favorite part of this post is the graphic on the top right. Classic.

[Paul Hebert]

I don't know what that says about my writing but thank you.

[Scott Crandall]

Paul --- As an old sales manager, I don't know whether to feel insulted, or to stand up & cheer! Excellent, thought-provoking post, as usual.

[Paul Hebert]

First off, you're not old. Second... Don't get me wrong, case histories are good selling tools. I'm just warning buyers that they should be used to evaluate the vendor's process not assume that particular solution should be the answer they should implement.

[John Cella]

The ah-hah statement: "What that would show me is their process, when applied across different companies, cultures and problems, has a high degree of success" - statement is right on! Another good post Paul!