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Summary
Three of your research colleagues discussed and defended their respective positions on making UX leadership more effective in this Advancing Research community workshop. Participants engaged with them in a discussion and Q&A, facilitated by Peter Merholz. “UX Research leaders of tomorrow need to stand tall, assert themselves, and take a seat at the table because we have a purpose and companies cannot afford to make investment decisions based on intuition.” – Sarah Alvarado “Move out of your UX org.” – Nalini Kotamraju “Most organizations talk a good prioritization game but fail to actually prioritize their projects, creating the perfect opportunity for Research leadership. Developing and maintaining a stack-ranked ruthless prioritization of projects has the power to grow Research headcount and budget and elevate Research strategically while minimizing researcher overwork.” – Anne Mamaghani
Key Insights
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Leaders must shift from justifying UX research to leveraging it for strategic insights.
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UX research should function as an independent pillar in organizations, not constrained to UX departments.
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Saying 'no' to certain requests can enable teams to focus on impactful research.
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Understanding the landscape of the organization, including politics and priorities, is crucial for effective research leadership.
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A portfolio approach can help balance different types of research efforts, including innovation and evaluation.
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Building trust and strong relationships with stakeholders is vital for successfully influencing research agendas.
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Prioritization needs to consider both business needs and research interests.
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Leveraging partnerships can enhance the impact and visibility of UX research efforts.
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Creating initiatives that go beyond typical research studies can position UX leadership as thought leaders.
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Effective research leadership involves helping researchers develop domain knowledge and confidence.
Notable Quotes
"It's critical for leaders in UX research to assert and position themselves strategically."
"It's time for us to move away from justifying our existence to leveraging our skills to drive strategy."
"UX leadership can't really lead the way it should while it's within a UX organization."
"More of too many research teams are spread way too thin, forced into evaluative research."
"Prioritization is key to ensuring research teams have the time to do impactful work."
"We should consider how research efforts align with organization priorities and where our influence lies."
"Our capabilities should extend throughout all stages of the product development cycle."
"Democratization of user research can dilute effectiveness if not paired with strong support."
"Understanding the motivations of others in the organization can help bridge gaps in research needs."
"We need a mix of short-term impact research and strategic innovation under our portfolio."
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