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Summary
When everyone in an organization shares useful, insightful information, wonderful things happen: we align our company strategies and our teams toward common goals, and we make great user experiences. The job of the research leader is to unlock that information by advocating for users and soliciting insights far and wide. The research leader empowers colleagues to vocalize and share their valuable perspectives so everyone makes better decisions.
Key Insights
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Research leadership requires going beyond product teams to engage marketing, sales, and editorial for broader organizational impact.
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Opportunistic research means seizing moments to connect user insights with multiple stakeholder needs, not waiting for formal requests.
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Limited user research roles relative to design and engineering create pressure for researchers to advocate their value continuously.
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A single well-designed research study can serve multiple departments if framed and shared strategically.
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Persistent and multi-channel communication, like frequent Slack updates and accessible repositories, is key to building research awareness.
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Centralizing research requests via intake forms helps prioritize studies that serve the whole organization rather than isolated needs.
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Research influence grows from awareness to demand and ultimately strategic leadership shaping product and business decisions.
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Market research data can be leveraged and integrated with user research to enrich insights and foster collaboration.
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Startup environments often facilitate more organic research influence due to smaller size and visibility compared to larger companies.
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A culture shift is needed so research becomes a habitual input for all projects, starting with reviewing existing knowledge before initiating new studies.
Notable Quotes
"There is a gigantic gap between research staff and everybody else in organizations."
"No one is coming to save us. No one is coming to help us. There’s no White Knight. It’s up to us."
"Research leadership is about adding value to an entire organization, not just your small corner of the company."
"Once people see that they can access information that helps them make better decisions, they want more of it."
"It becomes a habit when you share with people and they expect it."
"If we see a common question across the organization, we can do one large study instead of many small ones."
"You have to go to the mountain; you can’t expect the mountain to come to you."
"The superpower of researchers is that we connect the dots others don’t see."
"Research leaders must be opportunistic and improve the value of their work every single chance they get."
"The payoff to relentless research advocacy and inclusivity is influence within the organization."
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