Summary
For the past year, “Having a seat at the table” has been one of the most widely-discussed topics in the research community. However, what happens once that seat has been won? What we’ve typically seen is researchers struggling to discern between the specific needs and expectations of senior leadership and stakeholders, and those of the product teams they’re grown accustomed to working with. This presentation will distill, from several previous studies, lessons to guide researchers in how to go from just having a seat at the table, to actually using it towards influence strategic decision-making.
Key Insights
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Senior leaders care more about clear, actionable insights and strong opinions than detailed research methodologies.
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Researchers often communicate to leadership the same way they communicate to peers, which creates a disconnect.
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The 'seat at the table' is granted when leadership incorporates research into decisions, not just physical meeting presence.
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Most researchers already have a seat at the table, as indicated by early-stage research involvement and stakeholder engagement.
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Understanding and adapting to different leadership communication styles—positive, fact-based, intensity-based—improves research influence.
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Telling a single, memorable narrative that spans multiple users and products is more effective than detailed, feature-level reports for executives.
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Cultural context influences leadership preferences for inductive versus deductive reasoning in research communication.
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Closing the feedback loop by asking how research was used helps identify barriers to adoption and refine future engagement.
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Hands-on exercises like pitching research differently to various audiences build researchers’ skills to adapt messaging on the fly.
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Recognizing stakeholders’ bounded rationality means researchers must expand the decision-makers’ information boundaries to improve outcomes.
Notable Quotes
"The VP’s don’t care about recruitment or method details, they want strong opinions and clear positions on what needs to be done next."
"We’ve been focusing on getting a seat at the table for years, but many of us already have that seat and just don’t realize it."
"The moment people begin to shift their thinking and make decisions based on your work, they’re giving you a seat."
"Different people communicate in different ways, and understanding their style is the key to convincing them with your insights."
"Positive communicators focus on the upside; fact-based communicators want numbers and evidence; intensity communicators emphasize what’s at risk."
"Telling the right story means giving stakeholders a memorable shorthand that helps them reference research easily."
"We need to close the loop and understand when and why recommendations don’t get adopted after we deliver research."
"Stakeholders aren’t leaving us out on purpose; they make decisions with imperfect information and bounded rationality."
"By expanding the boundaries of knowledge, researchers can help make good decisions closer to the optimal ones for users."
"Practicing pitching research differently for various audiences helps build an instinct for shifting stories to resonate in the moment."
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