Summary
In our remote world, we as researchers need new ways to help our stakeholders cut through the noise to engage and digest our insights more meaningfully through thoughtful and intentional self-directed learning techniques. In this short session, we will discuss 4 key self-directed learning techniques to help you increase engagement around your insights during our debriefing sessions with your stakeholders.
Key Insights
-
•
Self-directed learning can empower stakeholders to engage with research insights on their own terms, increasing uptake and action.
-
•
Designing the context of insight sharing intentionally—considering group size, goals, and stakeholder needs—improves clarity and impact.
-
•
Emotional literacy, or checking in on participants’ feelings before sharing insights, helps prime stakeholders for better receptiveness.
-
•
Asynchronous collaboration within live sessions encourages quieter voices to be heard and builds rich discussions around insights.
-
•
Using digital tools that allow commenting directly on research reports democratizes feedback and documents conversations in real time.
-
•
Early engagement of stakeholders in framing research questions fosters buy-in and makes the research more relevant to their concerns.
-
•
Not everyone needs to read or engage with all research content; focusing on the most influential stakeholders optimizes effort and impact.
-
•
Combining synchronous and asynchronous modes in insight sharing sessions can manage Zoom fatigue and diversify participation.
-
•
Explicitly naming stakeholders' questions in research reports increases their sense of being seen and encourages participation.
-
•
Insight sharing should shift from just delivering information to designing a learning experience tailored to stakeholders’ strengths and interests.
Notable Quotes
"Change is the only constant, so designing insight sharing with self-directed learning is critical."
"Caring for people emotionally during insight sessions directly impacts their productivity and willingness to engage."
"Sometimes the loudest voices dominate, but asynchronous collaboration helps give quieter voices a chance to speak."
"I literally ask, how are you feeling right now? It’s about connecting on a human level before diving into data."
"Before sharing insights, I try to prime the room by acknowledging feelings and starting fresh."
"Sharing insights is like creating a learning space where stakeholders can use the information in their own way."
"Sending reports early and inviting comments turns the insight session into more of a discussion than a presentation."
"Everyone wants to see themselves reflected in the research questions and findings."
"Focus your research report on the three most influential stakeholders, not everyone."
"Combining synchronous and asynchronous communication within one session gets us from awareness to action."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"If you don’t have an analyst, find designers passionate about analytics and educate them."
Sarah CoyleDesign and Analytics with Sarah Coyle
July 30, 2020
"We want everyone adopting these inclusive design and research practices—not just a few advanced teams."
Saara Kamppari-MillerInclusive Design is DesignOps
September 29, 2021
"This was the first time the director saw the team doing something together."
Saara Kamppari-Miller"Prototype" vs "Prototype"--Breaking Down and Rebuilding Our Understanding of What We Do
October 24, 2019
"We created APIs so people can submit ideas or resource requests in a simple structure, and then track their status from accepted to rejected."
Toby HaugDiscussion
June 9, 2017
"There is really no destination in our work, only a journey to improve the world one project at a time."
Charlotte LeeTheme 1 Intro
December 8, 2021
"Actors as standardized patients allow safe practice of healthcare scenarios when live environment testing is too risky."
Carol MassaDesigning Health: Integrating Service Design, Technology, and Strategy to Transform Patient and Clinician Experiences
December 3, 2024
"You need to be just as careful conducting interviews in Beverly Hills as in poorer neighborhoods; wealth does not guarantee safety."
Yasmine KhanChecking Bias and Listening to Financially Vulnerable Americans
March 30, 2020
"You’re all mutants, straddling engineering and design schools and feeling like the island of misfit toys."
John MaedaMaking Sense of Enterprise UX
June 9, 2016
"About 7% of our daily active users print from the browser, which in raw numbers is about 6 million people."
Sharon BautistaTime to Make the Donuts: How User Research Helped Bridge Disparate Teams
January 8, 2024
Latest Books All books
Dig deeper with the Rosenbot
How does including metadata like methodology, market, and date improve the quality of research repository search results?
How do cultural beliefs and stories influence maternal health practices and care outcomes?
How can research repositories adapt to handle dated content and decide when to retire old insights?