So You've Got a Seat at the Table. Now What?
Summary
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
"By taking a moment to pause to just let people be people, we could allow the interview to resume with some dignity and purpose."
Susan Simon-DanielsWar Stories LIVE! Susan Simon-Daniels
March 30, 2020
"Exploratory user research can help teams think outside of commonplace organizational silos and facilitate collaboration across teams."
Sharon BautistaTime to Make the Donuts: How User Research Helped Bridge Disparate Teams
January 8, 2024
"When I see users saying, oh my goodness, I didn’t know it did that, that’s a clear sign of too much complexity."
David Cronin Uday Gajendar Peter Morville Kendra ShimmellDiscussion
May 13, 2015
"The moat that once protected researchers—their exclusive data access—is disappearing; now our value is enabling others to use insight."
Jemma Ahmed Megan Blocker Eduardo OrtizRedefining the research toolkit: Expanding methodologies for a changing world
March 12, 2025
"We organized UI components hierarchically so designers focus on solving user needs rather than building basic elements."
George Hinchliffe Joy LiuDelivering Amazing Experiences
June 10, 2021
"Build better foundations, not better facades."
Stefanie OwensOptimizing for Outcomes: Transformation Design in Systems at Scale
December 4, 2024
"Minimum viable product has become the minimal thing you can do to get out in the world, but doesn’t necessarily satisfy the needs of people you’re serving."
Steve Baty Richard Dalton Maria Giudice Harry MaxDiscussion
June 9, 2016
"It took me just a little bit amount of time to get into that and actually make a proper component from Figma."
Ryan Matthew Alex KurchevBridging Design and Code: AI-Powered Design System Integration
September 11, 2025
"Conflict actually strengthens relationships if we choose to engage with it."
Laura WeissTurn Down the Heat: 3 Ways to Handle Conflict in the Moment
November 20, 2024
