Summary
What does it take to become a great research leader? What are the different types of leaders in research? How do you grow a team from a solo researcher to a successful research team? Growing research teams show a company’s commitment to user-centered and insight-driven decision-making. With growing teams, research leadership becomes a central topic. With user research often having the most comprehensive picture of the user, we will explore what this means for the collaboration with or leadership of other disciplines in the organization. Today we have the chance to learn from three research leaders who share their personal perspectives on research leadership and various facets of it. Get to know our panelists: Anna Avrekh, UX Research Manager at Meta Dr. John Pagonis, Principal UX Researcher at Zanshin Labs Klara Pelcl, Senior Design Research Manager at ebay Join us live as we have plenty of room for your questions during the panel.
Key Insights
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Effective research leadership requires a blend of empowering team members and advocating for user research within the organization.
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Communication is key; research leaders should build relationships and trust with stakeholders for better collaboration and buy-in.
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Transitioning to a leadership role involves understanding the strategic goals of research rather than focusing solely on execution.
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Research leaders should create an environment where mistakes are okay, as they contribute to learning and team growth.
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Being a successful research leader means sometimes letting go of hands-on work to focus on team development and mentorship.
Notable Quotes
"A great research leader aims to build a team that is so strong they eventually become obsolete."
"Empowering people is crucial; as a leader, it's about enabling them to conduct valuable research."
"You must be unapologetic about bringing evidence to the table; that's our job as researchers."
"It's important to involve stakeholders early in the research process to foster collaboration."
"You can't skip over building trust; nurturing relationships takes time."
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