Summary
Human science is well suited for informing corporate strategy. Since big decisions in companies are bets on human behavior, having someone at the table specialized in humans can be helpful. So why is it that the logic of finance and technology dominates most strategy processes? Why are we, human scientists, are not as influential as we could be? Drawing on stories from his 20 years as an advisor, Christian will share how the human sciences can – and why they should – be part of the most important and consequential decisions companies make.
Key Insights
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Position research as a partnership with executive teams instead of a subordinate role.
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Understanding internal dynamics is as crucial as understanding customer needs for effective advising.
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Financial literacy is essential in research to influence business decisions meaningfully.
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Organizational rhythm can greatly impact the timing and reception of strategic recommendations.
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Introducing ideas must be done precisely to avoid dissonance and ensure acceptance by executives.
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Hooks and memorable stories are necessary for presenting ideas that resonate with decision-makers.
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Recognizing the internal politics and language of an organization can enhance communication effectiveness.
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Timing changes at the right organizational cadence can lead to successful implementations.
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Ethnographic skills are valuable for understanding both external and internal organizational cultures.
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Researchers must actively engage with executives and understand their context to provide relevant advice.
Notable Quotes
"When I thought about it, the metaphor that's best describing the skill sets necessary to turn research or understanding into advice and influence has to do with music."
"If you don't understand the logic that they're in, you're living in France without really caring for learning French."
"Unless you follow and understand how money moves around, you're on top of it."
"Often you have to tell people that they're wrong, and you have to do that in a quite specific way."
"When things are dislocating or changing, that's when you can do things."
"The way to think about this is that any organization follows a particular drum beat."
"Everything else has to be clean. There's nothing else that they can criticize."
"Life happened and suddenly that made this little story a riff that they can remember."
"If there's no nugget of a hook or a riff, they forget it the minute they leave it well."
"You would read some books if you wanted to go to France and learn French."
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