Summary
Our team has studied research democratization efforts of many shapes and sizes. This session focuses on what we've learned by approaching democratization from the perspective of the designers, product managers, marketers, and other non-researchers involved.
Key Insights
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Democratization in research can be polarizing and is often misunderstood as merely adding more work for non-researchers.
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Non-researchers may resist democratization efforts due to feelings of added workload and intimidation.
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Successful democratization programs align training with moments when non-researchers are most motivated to engage.
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Balancing safeguards with inspiration is crucial to empower non-researchers in research activities.
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Immediate relevance of research opportunities increases engagement and internalization of training for non-researchers.
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Highlighting success stories of peers can motivate and inspire non-researchers to engage in research activities.
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Developing a clear strategic path is essential for measuring progress in democratization programs.
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Engagement often starts low but can improve with effective communication and support from research teams.
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Fostering empathy for customers within organizations requires easy access for non-researchers to engage with them.
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Democratization is about facilitating connections, not just transferring the work overload to non-researchers.
Notable Quotes
"Democratization can elicit a lot of different responses."
"When I reference democratization, I'm using that term somewhat liberally."
"It's fairly common for democratization programs to experience low engagement initially."
"Feeling the pain of a problem doesn't mean they're ready to solve it."
"This is additional work, and they don't want to work 12 and a half hours a day."
"You did a great job here. For the next one, let's do it a little differently."
"It’s important to maintain the integrity and quality of the research."
"Let’s showcase the successful peers highlighting wins that other non researchers are having."
"We have to keep in mind that not everyone is asking to be empowered or ready to be empowered."
"It’s a big lift for a research team to launch these programs, but the long-term effects can be beneficial."
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