So You've Got a Seat at the Table. Now What?
Summary
For the past year, “Having a seat at the table” has been one of the most widely-discussed topics in the research community. However, what happens once that seat has been won? What we’ve typically seen is researchers struggling to discern between the specific needs and expectations of senior leadership and stakeholders, and those of the product teams they’re grown accustomed to working with. This presentation will distill, from several previous studies, lessons to guide researchers in how to go from just having a seat at the table, to actually using it towards influence strategic decision-making.
Key Insights
-
•
Senior leaders usually prefer strong opinions and clear next steps over detailed research methodologies.
-
•
Researchers often talk to leadership as if they were peers, causing a gap in communication effectiveness.
-
•
The discipline of research has evolved from seeking approval to demanding inclusion at decision-making forums.
-
•
Many researchers already have a metaphorical seat at the table, evidenced by leadership referencing and using their work.
-
•
Analyzing how stakeholders communicate—positive, fact-based, or intensity-driven—helps tailor messages for greater impact.
-
•
Effective storytelling for leadership means creating memorable, high-level narratives rather than comprehensive reports.
-
•
Research teams must start involvement well before formal planning cycles to influence investment decisions.
-
•
Closing the feedback loop by gathering stakeholder responses post-decision is crucial but often overlooked.
-
•
Cultural differences, such as inductive versus deductive reasoning, affect how research findings should be presented.
-
•
Understanding stakeholders’ goals and language (e.g., metrics like revenue or user engagement) improves researcher alignment and influence.
Notable Quotes
"VPs want to know what you really think. They want to see your insights distilled into a clear position of what needs to be done next."
"We have been focused for so long on getting that seat that we haven’t realized that a lot of us are actually already there."
"The moment they begin to shift their thinking and make decisions based on that work, they’re actually giving you a seat."
"Different people communicate in different ways, and understanding those ways gives you the key to convincing them."
"People broadly fall into three communication styles: positive, fact-based, and intensity-based."
"Telling the right story means creating a memorable shorthand that leaders can reference when they're at other tables."
"Closing the loop by understanding when and why recommendations don’t get adopted is probably the most easily actionable piece of advice I can give."
"Stakeholders aren’t leaving us out on purpose; they make reasonable decisions with imperfect information."
"The single most important thing we can do at the table is expanding the boundaries of knowledge for decision makers."
"If you understand their language—gross merchandising value, monthly recurring revenue, daily active users—you speak their world."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"It takes at least one member of a team to choose to set healthy standards for collaboration."
Darian DavisLessons from a Toxic Work Relationship
January 8, 2024
"Friction in a situation can cause a person to switch thinking styles, not personality types."
Indi YoungThinking styles: Mend hidden cracks in your market
January 8, 2025
"If you want to make this conference better for you, just let us know in Slack — we want you to have a positive experience."
Louis Rosenfeld Bria AlexanderDay 1 Welcome
September 23, 2024
"It is a lot more meaningful when I can meet with batches of customers in person and see their reactions, knowing I can improve their working life."
Melissa Schmidt Adam MenterHow UX Research Hit It Big in Las Vegas
June 4, 2019
"People spend about 60% of their time on the work about the work."
Kristin Skinner Kamdyn Moore8 Types of Measures in Design Operations
April 16, 2020
"Sales and support teams are closer to ground truth than many might realize and are invaluable partners for researchers."
Dave HoraAdvice for Establishing Research
December 8, 2022
"We wanted to surface agents day-to-day jobs, not necessarily how they were using Compass products."
Sean Fitzell Sarah Han Kayla FarrellCraft of User Research: Building Out Jobs to be Done Maps
March 12, 2021
"Soft interpersonal human relationship skills matter more than technical practice domains."
Jason MesutShaping design, designers and teams
November 8, 2018
"The pandemic flipped the equation, and IBM became the place that design talent left."
Dante GuintuHow to Crush the Talent Crunch
September 8, 2022
