The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission pursued a record high 32 alleged Ponzi schemes in the 12 months ending September 30, a 45% jump from 2010, while the FBI opened more than 1,000 inquiries into possible Ponzi schemes, a 150% rise from 2008.

Having been embarrassed by Bernard Madoff’s undetected scam, U.S. regulators are quietly stepping up their scrutiny of Ponzi swindles, says The New York Times.

Many managers rely on gut instinct to make important decisions, which often leads to poor results. On the contrary, when managers insist on incorporating logic and evidence, they make better choices and their companies benefit. Here are three ways to introduce evidence-based management at your company:

Demand evidence. Whenever anyone makes a compelling claim, ask for supporting data. Don’t take someone’s word for it.

Examine logic. Look closely at the evidence and be sure the logic holds up. Be on the lookout for faulty cause-and-effect reasoning.

Encourage experimentation. If you don’t have evidence, create some. Invite managers to conduct small experiments to test the viability of proposed strategies and use the resulting data to guide decisions.

No leader improves without feedback. But getting people to be honest about your performance isn’t always easy. Give your team a way to supply you with the candid information you need to change by asking them these three questions:

• What should I stop doing? Ask which behaviors stand in your way of success.
• What should I keep doing? Inquire about what you do right, and should continue to do.
• What should I start doing? Once you’ve stopped unproductive behaviors, you’ll have more time and energy for new behaviors.

When a project or meeting gets difficult, it can be tempting to power through to try to get it over with. But it’s better to do the same you might do for a slow-moving computer: shut it off and wait a minute.

Give yourself the opportunity to regain your composure. In a meeting that’s going nowhere? Take a break. Not making headway on that proposal you need to write? Take a walk. During the break, don’t think of new strategies or arguments. By taking yourself out of the situation, you allow your brain to rest so that when you return—with a fresh perspective and a calm mind—you are more likely to find a new solution.

Anyone who has been to a school reunion knows the pressure to look successful. In business, we often define external yardsticks and measure performance against them. But that same logic is not always appropriate when it comes to measuring the success of your professional life.

As long as you use external standards to evaluate your success, you are guaranteed dissatisfaction—you’ll always find someone who is doing more, making more, or has more. Instead of focusing outward, ask yourself what your standards of success are. Write them down and share them with those closest to you. This ensures you measure what matters to you, not to others.