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
"Teams testing components in real-world contexts early can catch issues before products are even built."
Gabriela BarnevaOperationalizing Inclusive Design in Design Ops
September 11, 2025
"Aim for a healthy balance of safeguards and inspiration to protect customers but keep non-researchers motivated."
Trisha TerharEmpathizing with the Empowered: Non-Researcher Responses to Democratization
March 10, 2022
"Physical paper has a special tactility to it; people still gravitate back to it because of this nature."
Lukas Moro“Feels Like Paper!”: Interfacing AI through Paper
June 11, 2025
"Designing in enterprise means facilitating conversations and educating your teams because many stakeholders don’t speak design."
Jessamyn EdwardsSurviving Your UX Career in Enterprise Design
December 2, 2021
"The hands is the part we love — action — to start doing things on your teams right after this Summit."
Saara Kamppari-MillerTheme Three Intro
September 9, 2022
"We break down overarching messages into pillar messages and key proof points to create digestible, empathetic communication."
Megan Nipe Lyndsay BoothHuman-Centered Design for Engagement: Maturing from Newsletterville to Personalized, One-to-One Messaging
December 8, 2021
"It is cheaper and better to do accessibility right the first time than to retrofit and fix later."
Sam ProulxAccessibility: An Opportunity to Innovate
June 8, 2022
"Government is seven plus years behind industry – not bleeding edge, more like the dull butter knife edge."
Michael LandEstablishing Design Operations in Government
February 18, 2021
"Using video clips of insights creates a more personal connection and helps teams engage with the data."
Mike Oren Janice WiitalaDesign Research Strategy & Strategic Design Research
February 3, 2022
Latest Books All books
Dig deeper with the Rosenbot
What is the evolving role of researchers of one in organizations practicing democratized research?
What are examples of play used for executive-level prioritization and trade-offs?
How does involving more senior researchers in the field improve research outcomes when AI handles transcript processing?