Summary
As the first-ever user researcher at McKinsey, Megan Blocker pioneered the practice of UXR at the firm, establishing and growing the team to more than 50 researchers, data analysts, and data scientists. But “growing up” as a user researcher in management consulting meant she was unburdened by many of the expectations researchers face in more traditional contexts - instead, she was able to combine the best of management consulting with research and design practices to break barriers for how and where research was applied. In her talk at Advancing Research, she’ll share how she applied core management consulting practices to her research work and how those same practices can help you succeed from study to study as well as when scaling research across your organization.
Key Insights
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Leverage consulting practices to enhance user research influence
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Clearly communicate the 'so what' to drive action
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Adopt the principle of 'bringing truth to power' in research recommendations
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Emphasize a relentless focus on measurable outcomes
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Utilize existing frameworks to communicate insights effectively
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Build relationships with organizational leaders to gain trust
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Employ multidisciplinary insights from both user data and expert perspectives
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Establish a collaborative environment with teams
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Be proactive in identifying opportunities for impact
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Ensure that communication style caters to various learning preferences
Notable Quotes
"I was less than a day into my tenure at McKinsey when I first heard someone ask, 'but what's the so what?'"
"User researchers often stop at the findings. They need to advocate for a direction."
"Consultants rely on a variety of data, and we can do the same."
"Adoption is key; without adoption, value is zero."
"Put the most important message right up front, no matter the format."
"Consultants are rewarded for finding and solving problems."
"When communicating findings, you need a structured approach."
"Research should not just inform; it should inspire action."
"The culture of consulting is a great way to cultivate influential user researchers."
"You must pave the way to deeper and broader influence by establishing trust with stakeholders."
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