Summary
Research for product work is well established; but how do you lead your research team to shape organizational goals? We’ll use a case study from Google to demonstrate how many of the same techniques, methods, and skills you and your team have today can be used to guide an organization’s goals. We’ll also discuss key changes to make for organizational success - from integrating with other insight functions to shifting how your team defines themselves and their work. The results are research organizations that produce insights to impact how your organization defines their goals.
Key Insights
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The role of researchers is shifting towards leadership and strategic influence within organizations.
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Success requires assessing the organization’s understanding of both internal and external customer needs.
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Building relationships and aligning with organizational champions is critical for influencing decision-making.
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Investing in communication and business acumen skills strengthens a research team’s effectiveness.
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Tactical research can have strategic implications if framed correctly within the organization's goals.
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Delivering research insights requires preparation and alignment well before execution.
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Collaborating with different disciplines enhances the credibility and trustworthiness of research results.
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Setting ambitious goals for the research team can energize and elevate their work.
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Creating a culture where any research can be seen as strategic leads to more meaningful engagement with stakeholders.
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Linking research outcomes to business objectives can shift organizational priorities significantly.
Notable Quotes
"The role of the researcher is shifting towards using data for broader organizational goals."
"We need to learn from each other and establish ourselves to take leadership positions."
"We had a rigorous view of our customers, but a fairly two-dimensional view of our partners."
"One of the strengths of the organization was that they were very data friendly."
"You can change your organization's top level goals with the information you're collecting today."
"If you can follow these simple steps, you can shift the focus and impact of your team."
"If the team is disengaged, we need some goals that will actually energize them."
"Any customer contact is always touching on strategic issues."
"Aligning with others on projects is critical as organizations don't make decisions in a vacuum."
"This is a virtuous cycle; it will benefit both customers and the business."
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