Think like a user researcher to level up job hunting, problem solving, collaboration and more
Think like a user researcher to level up job hunting, problem solving, collaboration and moreWays, questions and scenarios to help you think like user researcher no matter your roleOften not enough questions are asked. Nor does not think from the other person's perspective - your audience or user. Here are some areas where you can change immediately how you work with people. Ultimately people think about themselves or what they want to achieve. So if you think about their agenda and fit your message within it, it makes things go along much easier. Thinking and working like a user researcher means a few different things. Understanding your user (stakeholder, team member, hiring manager), understanding what they are trying to achieve, and figuring out what they are concerned about. Thinking like a user researcher is about collecting data, turning it into insights and using those findings accordingly. The sky is the limit! You can ask the right questions in almost any situation. For example, organising something with a friend, planning a holiday with a loved one, or meeting someone new. It is about being very user-centric and being good at listening. Source: XKCD🔎 Characteristics of a good user researcher that you can embody
👋 Finding a mentorVery often I see people say “I want a mentor”, or “will you be a mentor”. What is missing is that by doing this you are asking from your perspective. Focusing on what you need rather than understanding what the other person needs. Some well-known or popular figures get completely inundated with requests and a time-poor. Take time to first get to know this person, and find what they have already written and spoken about. Then assess if you really want them as a mentor or if everything you can learn is already accessible. Ask yourself these questions:
Ask your prospective mentor along the lines of:
Make sure you put the effort into answering these questions and take note of these answers. Then work with these responses or answers accordingly. Some of these would impact your initial message and introduction, how you might work together and expectations. 💰 Job huntingIf you want to know why are you not getting much traction with your job applications it is worth pausing. Then take an analytical look at how you are applying for roles. Resist doing the same thing over and over again. It may seem easier to just apply to 100+ jobs with the exact same method and hope for success "spray and pray". However doing so could lead to unnecessary disappointment leading you to feel less confident about the ability to do the job. Take an experimental approach. Review critically what does not work, adjust and move on. Ask yourself the following questions:
Ask a recruiter or hiring manager the following:
When taking onboard these responses make sure to implement some of these into your resume, portfolio, and application. 🤝 Communicating with stakeholdersIn an organisation, everyone has their own OKRs, KPIs or goals they want to achieve personally. It is important to understand each of your stakeholders' goals or priorities. Tailor your message to them and their style. Some of them may be under more pressure or have a lot of visibility. Ask yourself:
Ask your stakeholders or try to figure out:
Once you do communicate whatever you need to with your stakeholders follow up with them to see their response. You could even ask more questions to iterate. I find, “what would you like more of?” and “what would you like less of?” really helps gather feedback rather than “what did you like” or “what did you not like”? Source: https://vk.com/piterskii_punk_wall🤔 Problem-solving - or understanding a problem better. Key for good Product Managers or Product DesignersThis would be a helpful approach for anyone but especially for Designers and Product Managers. Use this if you are tasked with working on something new, or are trying to improve something. The questions and principles could relate to solving a problem at home, with your neighbour or community, or anything. Ask yourself:
Ask the other party/parties or try to find out:
Bringing in other sources of data also helps. There is a good set of B2B or SaaS questions you can also use and also adjust for your particular situation. 🤩 Sharing or presenting your workWe are inundated or bombarded with attention grabbers from the time we wake up. Your audience has other things grabbing their attention. You will be competing with notifications from their phone, Slack, family commitments, their own work goals, stresses and countless other things. Sitting in yet another meeting might mean waning attention, focus and energy from your audience. A good researcher knows that the important thing is not putting sole effort into the project itself. Although the research should be done as rigorously and robustly within reason. The key thing is having your research be consumable and usable. Ask yourself:
Ask your stakeholders or think about this on behalf of your stakeholders:
Similar to communicating with stakeholders, figure out what works and does not. Adjust things for your audience. Observe what method, and style resonates. 💳 Getting promoted or requesting some resources/sponsorship from your managerIf things do not work out the first time, still persist but try different approaches. It could be the fiscal quarter you brought this up does not have the budget. Or the management team was trying to handle another bigger thing and do not have the ability to think about it. Sometimes it is timing, priorities, or something else you may not realise or know at the time. Ask yourself:
Ask your manager:
If things do not work out the first time, still persist but try different approaches. It could be the fiscal quarter you brought this up does not have the budget or the management team was trying to handle another bigger thing and do not have the ability to think about it. Sometimes it is timing, priorities, or something else you may not realise or know at the time. 📚Recommended reading or listening
Thinking like a researcher can benefit you in many situations, not just the ones listed above. To sum it up, it is approaching things with a learner's mindset and being curious, asking questions, and listening a lot. It is also about making adjustments when things do not work and seeing what resonates and keep doing it. Treating every person, team and organisation as very individual. Once a conclusion and the clear findings are there, communicate things within the agenda, preferred method or motivation of your audience. Thank you for reading the article! You can help us:
If your friends, peers or colleagues could benefit from this article or the Askwhy newsletter, share it with them today. They can learn and grow too. Follow us on Twitter @readaskwhy |
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