Researcherskills Workshop Guide Deck
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While we settle
in, you can fill in
Research
Skills/Career
Sheet (part 1)
Researcher
Skills Workshop
A ResearchOps community project
Hashtag #researcherskills
Welcome!
ResearchOps?
Active community on Slack
with 1,600+ members
http://researchops.community/
Twitter
https://twitter.com/teamreops
#researchops
ResearchOps is the mechanisms and
strategies that set user research in
motion. It provides the roles, tools
and processes needed to support
researchers in delivering and scaling
the impact of the craft across an
organisation.
Goals and outcomes
Give you a new frame &
perspective for thinking about
what it means to work as a
researcher, and where your
career can go.
Connect with other researchers,
so you can learn from each others’
lessons, perspectives, and
approaches to the work,
Provide space to reflect on the
nature of your work, identify
specific areas worth time &
attention.
Create useful data for the
ResearchOps team to publish
findings representing researchers
around the world.
Safe space
House by Creative Stall from the Noun Project
“Friend-DA” NDA
Eye by Guilherme Simoes from the Noun Project
Please step outside
if you need to take a call.
Smartphone by Creative Stall from the Noun Project
Consent for photos?
pocket camera by Guilherme Simoes from the Noun Project
Outline for today:
Currently, are you…
1.
2.
3.
4.
Working in-house
Working in an
agency/consultancy
Working in-government
An independent/freelance
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
New
Have been in this field for 2+ years
For 4+ years
For 6+ years
For 8+ years
For 10+ years??
Raise
your
hand!
Perspectives
What is research?
Rough-bucket career level
Combined view: growth & process ownership
Challenges in the work itself
Junior researcher
●
●
●
●
Coordination with
cross-functional stakeholders
Understanding each role’s
part in service delivery
Limited set of research
techniques/tools, tasks
Honestly assessing /
reflecting on work
Mid-level researcher
●
●
●
●
Lack of influence on product
decisions
Fuzzy understanding of
business strategy
Project stakeholder
management, engagement
Weaving in / working with
quantitative data
Senior researcher
●
●
●
●
●
Synthesized from 14 discovery interviews conducted by the ResearchOps project team
Higher-order prioritization of
research work
Stretching too thin; always
adapting last-minute
Proving value of research,
establishing project ROI
Getting ahead of the product
delivery cycle
Influencing cross-functional
teams for buy-in
Clarity to excel and level-up
Clarity on the skills &
competencies required in role?
Clarity on what’s next / how to
grow in their career?
Junior researcher
No
No
Mid-level researcher
No
Maybe
Senior researcher
Yes
Yes
Synthesized from 14 discovery interviews conducted by the ResearchOps project team
Barriers to level up
Junior researcher
●
●
●
Figuring out what's next and
how to get there
Finding good resources and
dependable mentors
Concerned about not having
a specific goal around
progress
Mid-level researcher
●
●
Not playing a more
influential role in product
decisions
Lack of clarity to advance
business acumen
Synthesized from 14 discovery interviews conducted by the ResearchOps project team
Senior researcher
●
●
●
Not being able to make time
to find mentorship
Always having to adapt for
everyone else / organization
The need to always be
nimble with last minute
changes
What does ‘better’ look like?
Junior researcher
●
Not clear
Mid-level researcher
●
●
Yearn to do more purposeful
and impactful work
Crave to learn how their
work connects to what the
business envisions
Synthesized from 14 discovery interviews conducted by the ResearchOps project team
Senior researcher
●
●
●
Growing deeper into
qualitative skills
Proficiency in mixed methods
Good at answering what
'minimum viable research'
will lead to progress
Multi-track view of what’s beyond Senior
Article: “Designing a Better Career Path for Designers” – Siva Sabaretnam // Illustrations: Diana Thai
Source: https://medium.com/elegant-tools/designing-a-better-career-path-for-designers-872b0aa50b5b
Another interesting look at future-paths:
Public file: “Design Team Levels Framework (Originally for Snagajob Design)” – Peter Merholz / @peterme
Source: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1m-Cso3848CgEz0eng5spL0lDppnwOgt726jJ01pVwO8/edit?usp=sharing
Mapping and
discussion
Org. Ecosystem Model — Activity #1
{my team in my org}
●
Get a sheet of scratch paper
and pens
●
Start with a shaded dot for
yourself, and add a circle
around that for your team...
Org. Ecosystem Model — Activity #1
1.
Draw a bigger circle around your team—what larger group /
business unit is your team a part of? Label that group.
2.
Add in your Design and/or Product team if they aren’t
already a part of the picture.
3.
Finally, think of each team/group with direct access to
customers: sales, support, consulting, etc.—add them to the
map and shade them in. Draw out how they’re connected
to you.
Solo
3 min
Org. Ecosystem Model — Discussion
1.
Where does your team fit into the org?
How does that arrangement affect the work that you take on?
2.
Which other team has the strongest connection to customers/users?
Why? What happens to their knowledge & experience?
3.
From your perspective, who has the most impact on your work?
In pairs
10 min
Project Journey Map — Activity #2
{Name of a recent research project}
●
Get a sheet of scratch paper
and pens
●
Start with two lines: an
emotion line on top (add
your favorite happy/sad
faces), and a project timeline
line on the bottom
Project Journey Map — Activity #2
1.
Start by filling out a timeline of major project events,
anything that changed the state/course of the project.
2.
Now think through and fill in the “emotional state” journey
map line—how were you feeling throughout the course of
this project?
3.
Where did you feel the most frustration? Circle that area
and draw an exclamation mark on your timeline here
4.
Finally, where did you feel you had the great impact? Circle
your timeline & draw a “!” on your timeline here
Solo
3 min
#2 Project Journey Map — Discussion
1.
How did your involvement in the project get started?
How much influence did you have over how that?
2.
What type of event, action, or outcome made you
feel the most impactful?
3.
What conditions led to stress or difficulty in the
project? Why?
4.
How did your involvement close? What were the
ultimate outcomes?
Pairs
10 min
Optional—need a
short break?
Reflection and
rating
Craft Skills: Worksheet #1
Craft Skills: Worksheet #1
1.
2.
3.
4.
Circle each skill you’ve used in the last ~3 months on real project work
Add a star to any circled skills you feel “very comfortable” with—could
teach or explain to others
Add numbers “1, 2, 3” next to the three circled skills you think are the
most important for your work right now
Add letters “A, B, C” next to three uncircled skills you think would be
most helpful for advancing as a researcher
Solo
7 min
Human Skills: Worksheet #2
Human Skills: Worksheet #2
1.
2.
3.
4.
Circle each skill you’ve used in the last ~3 months on real project work
Add a star to any circled skills you feel “very comfortable” with—could
teach or explain to others
Add numbers “1, 2, 3” next to the three circled skills you think are the
most important for your work right now
Add letters “A, B, C” next to three uncircled skills you think would be
most helpful for advancing as a researcher
Solo
7 min
Career Map: Worksheet #3
Career Map: Worksheet #3
1.
When did you start as a researcher?
—place a dot, add a date. In that first
role, where do you think you got to?
Place a dot and trace the progression.
2.
Move on to your next year or next job,
whichever first: think about how you
were working—place a dot.
3.
Now continue dot-ing and tracing your
progress for each year & career event,
until you reach today
4.
Finally, draw forward a few years...
Solo
5 min
#3 Career Map: Worksheet #3
1.
2.
3.
Where are you now, and how did you get there?
What’s the most interesting (best, worst, hardest,
unusual) part about your journey so far?
Where do you think you’d like to push towards? How
will you get there?
Pair
15 min
4. Reflection
Self-reflection
●
●
●
What did you learn today?
What next steps do you want to take tomorrow?
What are the questions you want to explore?
Solo
3 min
Reflection circle:
—go around the room
●
And share whatever you’re comfortable sharing
if your workshop is
greater than 10-12
in size; consider
breaking out into
two or three groups
1 min
Per
person
The final step!
Fill out page 2; leave both with facilitator
Take photos for yourself, and
you can keep all the other
worksheet materials
Your organizer will also send
you a workshop feedback
form (digital) tomorrow
Thank you
https://researchops.community
https://twitter.com/teamreops
+
+
+
+
+
Follow @teamreops
Join the Slack waitlist
Come to one of our town halls
Watch town hall videos on Vimeo
Join the conversation: #ResearchOps and
#researcherskills
Branding and design by treemouse.com
https://vimeo.com/user89807865
teamreops@gmail.com
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